Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasim Mohamed Albudaiwi said that the recent Israeli attack on the State of Qatar constitutes a blatant violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, and Qatar's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He added that Israel targeted residential facilities housing members of the negotiating delegation from the Hamas Political Bureau during ongoing talks and mediation efforts hosted by Doha to reach an agreement on Gaza. Albudaiwi made these remarks during his speech at the joint strategic partnership meeting between the GCC and the United States, held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The meeting was co-chaired by Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, and current GCC chair, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He highlighted that the Israeli attack endangered civilian lives in a residential area filled with schools, diplomatic missions, and kindergartens. He reaffirmed the GCC's full solidarity with Qatar, stressing that the security of the GCC states is indivisible and that any attack on one member is considered an attack on all. Regarding the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, the Secretary-General said that the ongoing Israeli aggression, the crime of genocide being committed by Israeli forces, and the deliberate blockade that has caused famine pose serious threats to regional and international peace and security. He emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive ceasefire, the release of hostages and detainees, the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, and a just, comprehensive settlement leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant UN resolutions. On Syria, Albudaiwi underscored the importance of respecting Syrian sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and rejecting foreign interference in its internal affairs. He reaffirmed that Syria's security and stability are essential to regional stability, condemned repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, and stressed adherence to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Turning to Lebanon, he reiterated the GCC's steadfast support for Lebanon's sovereignty, security, and stability and highlighted the need for political and economic reforms to meet the aspirations of the Lebanese people for stability, prosperity, and development. He also emphasized the importance of safeguarding maritime security and waterways in the region, countering activities that threaten regional and global stability, including attacks on commercial vessels, threats to shipping routes, and targeting of oil installations in GCC states. During the joint ministerial meeting, Albudaiwi affirmed that the GCC-US partnership is a strategic necessity to ensure security, stability, and prosperity for all. He noted that the meeting reflects a strong commitment to strengthening this longstanding partnership, which has evolved over decades of close cooperation. He added that this partnership has been reinforced through five joint summits, most recently the Riyadh Summit in 2025, which witnessed the signing of trade and investment agreements exceeding $2 trillion. On the economic front, Albudaiwi reported that bilateral trade between the GCC and the United States surpassed $120 billion in 2024, supported by significant Gulf investments in the US economy. He also pointed to the depth of educational and cultural ties, noting that tens of thousands of Gulf students currently study at US universities and that hundreds of thousands have graduated from American institutions over the past six decades. He expressed hope that Gulf students will continue to study in the United States without facing any consular or procedural obstacles.
