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Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed enhancing the strategic partnership between the GCC and Egypt and expanding cooperation across multiple fields to serve shared interests, during a meeting held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday.Discussions also covered the latest regional and international developments, particularly the situation in the Gaza Strip and the serious violations committed by Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people. Both sides stressed the importance of concerted efforts to achieve a ceasefire, facilitate urgent humanitarian aid delivery, and end the crisis in order to safeguard regional and international security and stability.

The State of Qatar has signed the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, which has been endorsed by more than 100 countries, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) in New York.The declaration was signed on behalf of the State of Qatar by Her Excellency Minister of State for International Cooperation Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad.The declaration aims to strengthen adherence to international humanitarian law and to provide greater protection for humanitarian personnel working in conflict zones worldwide.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani left Doha on Sunday, heading to the United States of America to participate in the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which will be held at the organization's headquarters in New York.His Highness the Amir will deliver a speech at the opening session of the General Assembly on Tuesday, Sept. 23.His Highness is accompanied by His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani and an official delegation.

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution on the participation of the State of Palestine in the high-level meetings of the Assembly next week. The resolution authorizes the State of Palestine to submit a pre-recorded statement to its President, which will be broadcast in the Assembly Hall during the general debate, after introduction by its representative present in the Hall.The resolution, which was adopted with 145 votes in favor, 5 against, and 6 abstentions, also authorizes the State of Palestine to deliver statements via videoconference or to deliver a pre-recorded statement at the sessions of the High-Level Conference on the Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Two-State Solution.Palestine is also permitted to submit pre-recorded statements by its President or another high-level representative at any high-level meeting, United Nations conference, or international meetings held under the auspices of the General Assembly, or as appropriate if representatives of the State of Palestine are prevented from participating in United Nations meetings.The resolution clarified that these measures are only in effect during the 80th session of the General Assembly, stressing the need to enable representatives of the State of Palestine to participate in person at relevant meetings at the United Nations in New York.The resolution expressed concern over instances in which representatives are prevented from participating in General Assembly meetings and regretted the decision of the US to deny visas to representatives of the State of Palestine and to revoke visas granted to them prior to the 80th session of the General Assembly, thus preventing them from participating in person at UN meetings.It called for an immediate reversal of this decision. In late August, the US announced that it had denied entry visas to senior Palestinian Authority officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, and had revoked existing visas, preventing them from attending the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

The United Nations warned that the situation in Gaza is deteriorating by the hour and renewed its call for immediate protection for civilians. It emphasized that issuing displacement orders does not absolve the parties to the conflict of their responsibilities to protect civilians, especially in light of the ongoing attacks launched by the occupying power, Israel, on Gaza. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that Al-Rantisi Children's Hospital in Gaza was damaged after being hit by multiple airstrikes two days ago, forcing half of the patients and their caregivers to flee under the bombardment in search of safety. Meanwhile, UN humanitarian partners confirmed that since the ceasefire collapsed in March, 80 medical facilities and primary healthcare centers providing health services to patients have been damaged, with 65 of them out of service. In a related development, the Palestinian Telecommunications Company reported that Wednesday night, there was a complete internet outage throughout Gaza and the north, preventing residents and humanitarian workers from accessing vital information. UN humanitarian partners have established three support points in areas hosting internally displaced persons in southern Gaza to assist unaccompanied children, orphans, and the wounded. They reported that the heavy shelling of Gaza is exacerbating the suffering of the people, especially children.

United Nations agencies and Oxfam voiced grave concerns on Wednesday about food running out in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing famine, after Israel closed the only operational crossing there last week.Israel began its long-expected ground assault on Gaza City in the north on Tuesday and is stepping up efforts to empty the city of civilians by opening an additional route southwards.Hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering in the city and many are reluctant to follow Israel's orders to move because of dangers along the route, dire conditions, a lack of food to the south, and fear of permanent displacement."There are grave concerns over fuel and food stock depletion in a matter of days as there are now no direct aid entry points into northern Gaza and resupply from south to north is increasingly challenging due to mounting road congestion and insecurity," the UN humanitarian office (OCHA) said in a statement.The Zikim Crossing was shut on September 12 and no aid groups have been able to import supplies since, it said.Bushra Khalidi, Policy Lead at Oxfam, said that the move could be "another strategy to corral the population to move down south".Israel's military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its reasons for the closure. Late on Tuesday it said that humanitarian aid would be allowed to enter northern Gaza, without giving details.Israel controls all access to Gaza and says it allows enough food aid into the enclave, where it has been at war with Palestinian fighters Hamas for nearly two years. It accuses Hamas of stealing aid, which the fighters deny."There is an urgent need for an active border point into the north to be opened for essential life-saving humanitarian supplies," said Abeer Etefa, a World Food Programme spokesperson, which had used the crossing before its closure.A global hunger monitor said last month that Gaza City and surrounding areas were officially suffering from famine and that it was likely to spread.

Luxembourg announced its intention to join the countries that will recognize the State of Palestine during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York next week. Arriving at an EU meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel confirmed earlier remarks made by Prime Minister Luc Frieden, who had told members of the Grand Duchy's Foreign Affairs Committee in a closed meeting that his government was committed to a two-state solution. Frieden said his government was convinced that the two-state formula offered the only path to lasting peace in the region. He acknowledged that such peace would not be achieved overnight but described recognition of Palestine as a step demonstrating that the solution remained possible. He added that for this reason Luxembourg intended to join the states recognizing Palestine at next week's conference on the two-state solution. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed Luxembourg's plan, calling it a courageous position consistent with international law and UN resolutions and part of broader efforts to advance calm and peace on the basis of two states. Several other countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and Canada, have recently announced similar intentions to recognize Palestine during the General Assembly session, following a proposal drafted by France and Saudi Arabia. Last Friday, the UN General Assembly voted by an overwhelming majority to adopt the New York Declaration, which lays out concrete, time-bound, and irreversible steps toward implementing a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians ahead of the next session scheduled for Sep. 22. Out of the UN's 193 member states, at least 149 already recognize the Palestinian state declared by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988.

United Nations investigators on Tuesday accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza in a bid to "destroy the Palestinians", accusing Israel's prime minister and other top officials of incitement.The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI), which does not speak on behalf of the world body, found that "genocide is occurring in Gaza", commission chief Navi Pillay told AFP."The responsibility lies with the State of Israel."The bombshell report marks the first time a UN-mandated investigative body has concluded the country is committing genocide.Israel has since the start of the war in Gaza faced genocide accusations from NGOs and independent UN experts.The UN itself has not labelled the situation in Gaza a genocide, but Pillay said she believed the facts presented by the commission should prompt "high-level leaders at the United Nations also to call this what it is, the genocide".After the report was published, UN rights chief Volker Turk said it was up to the courts to determine whether genocide was taking place, but warned: "We see the evidence mounting."Israel "categorically" rejected Tuesday's report, with the foreign ministry describing it as "distorted and false" and calling "for the immediate abolition of this Commission of Inquiry".The commission published its latest report nearly two years after the war erupted in Gaza following Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack inside Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.Israel's retaliatory campaign has displaced virtually the entire Gaza population and has killed nearly 65,000 people, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the UN considers reliable.The report came as Israel on Tuesday launched a ground assault on Gaza City, where the UN has declared a full-blown famine.The COI concluded that Israeli authorities and forces had since October 2023 committed "four of the five genocidal acts" listed in the 1948 Genocide Convention.These are "killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part, and imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group".The investigators said explicit statements by Israeli civilian and military authorities and their patterns of military action "indicated that the genocidal acts were committed with intent to destroy... Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a group".They concluded that Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant have "incited the commission of genocide and that Israeli authorities have failed to take action against them to punish this incitement"."The responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons," stated Pillay, 83, a South African former judge who once headed the international tribunal for Rwanda and also served as UN human rights chief.Commissioner Chris Sidoti meanwhile stressed that the people of Israel too "have been betrayed by their government", whose "genocidal war... has made (their) peace and security... almost impossible for the foreseeable future"."Their trauma and their suffering has been ruthlessly manipulated by Netanyahu and his cronies," he told journalists.The commission is not a legal body but its reports wield diplomatic pressure and serve to gather evidence for later use by courts.Pillay said the commission was cooperating with the International Criminal Court's prosecutor, and had "shared thousands of pieces of information with them".The ICC has already issued international arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.And the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last year ordered Israel "to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide" in Gaza.The investigators stressed that it could take years for the court to definitively rule on whether a genocide is taking place -- but Pillay insisted member states must "act now"."The absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity."

The treacherous Israeli attack that targeted a residential compound housing a number of Hamas leaders in Doha constitutes a blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. It also represents a direct threat to regional security and stability by striking a sovereign state that has, for nearly two years, played a pivotal role in internationally supported mediation efforts aimed at ending Israel's ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.The targeting of a residential facility housing members and staff of Hamas negotiating delegation marks a grave escalation in Israel's conduct, reflecting a disturbing trend toward expanding the scope of its attacks. It also stands as a flagrant challenge to the will of the international community and a stark breach of the principles that govern relations between states.This attack sparked widespread condemnation, with capitals around the world, along with international organizations, voicing their solidarity with Qatar and reaffirming their unwavering support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of this aggression. They denounced Israel's violations of international law and its disregard for all diplomatic norms.In this context, His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani affirmed Qatar's full right to take all necessary measures to protect its security and safeguard its sovereignty in response to the recent Israeli aggression.Arab and Islamic support is also evident through the emergency summit to be hosted by Doha on Monday.Convened in light of recent developments in the region, including the treacherous Israeli attack, the summit is set to discuss a draft statement on the Israeli assault, prepared by the preparatory meeting of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers scheduled for Sunday.This step reflects a collective determination to unify positions in the face of this flagrant threat and to coordinate joint efforts to confront Israel's repeated violations.The summit also aims to bolster Doha's ongoing mediation efforts, protect Palestinian people from the brutality of occupation, and deliver a firm message to the international community on the urgent need to confront the uncontrolled aggression of Israel's far-right government, which continues to export its internal crises by expanding its assaults across the region without restraint or accountability.Since the founding of the Arab League in 1945, a total of 50 Arab summits have been held - 34 ordinary and 16 emergency sessions. The Qatari capital, Doha, previously hosted three Arab summits.

Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman, in a phone call today with Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, discussed developments in the Middle East, most notably the latest updates related to the Palestinian cause and the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. The two sides also exchanged views during the call on ways to intensify efforts to ensure universal adherence to international law and UN resolutions, with the goal of achieving security, peace, and the advancement of justice.

The State of Qatar participated in the Geneva PeaceTalks 2025, held on the sidelines of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, with the presence of prominent thought leaders and decision-makers.HE Minister of Education and Higher Education Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater delivered a keynote address at the event, which is marked by the United Nations each year on September 9.In her speech, Her Excellency emphasized the devastating impact of conflicts on children and stressed the importance of enabling them to continue their education so they can fulfill their aspirations and contribute to rebuilding their communities.She highlighted the role of education in fostering resilience in conflict zones and supporting peace-building efforts.She also addressed the recent attack on the State of Qatar, despite its ongoing efforts to promote peace and mediate conflicts through peaceful means, pointing to the troubling double standards evident in global responses.Concluding her remarks, Her Excellency reaffirmed Qatar's unwavering commitment to international efforts aimed at protecting education in conflict-affected areas, supporting peace processes, and promoting justice and equality as essential foundations for global stability and security.

The State of Qatar delivered on Wednesday a message to the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres and to Sangjin Kim, the Charge d'Affaires at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations and President of the Security Council regarding the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the Hamas Political Bureau in the capital, Doha.The message was delivered by HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani.The State of Qatar requested that the message be circulated to the members of the Security Council and issued as an official document of the Council. It was issued under number S/2025/563.In the message, the State of Qatar expressed its strongest condemnation of this criminal assault, describing it as a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents on its soil.The State also pointed out that security, civil defense, and relevant authorities immediately responded to the incident and took the necessary measures to contain its consequences and ensure the safety of the residents and surrounding areas.While strongly condemning this attack, Qatar stressed that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and ongoing disruption to regional security, nor any act targeting its security and sovereignty. Investigations are underway at the highest level, and further details will be announced as soon as they become available.