Qatar Urges UN General Assembly to Address Palestinian Crisis and Support Key Resolutions
New York, The Gulf Observer: The State of Qatar has emphasized the responsibility of the United Nations General Assembly to uphold its commitments under the UN Charter to address the Palestinian cause. Qatar called for international support for two critical draft resolutions that will be presented to the General Assembly on December 11. These resolutions underscore shared humanitarian values and obligations, aligning with the principles of the UN Charter and the pursuit of global peace and security.
The statement was delivered by Her Excellency Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, during the 10th Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly. The agenda focused on “Illegal Israeli Actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the Rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”
The first draft resolution calls for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire, while the second seeks to bolster the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Stressing UNRWA’s critical role, Sheikha Alya highlighted the agency’s existential crisis and its importance as a lifeline for Palestinian people.
She reaffirmed Qatar’s unwavering support for General Assembly Resolution 302 on UNRWA’s mandate, Resolution 194 on Palestinian refugees’ right to return, and Security Council Resolution 237. She also urged implementation of two recent General Assembly resolutions: Resolution ES-10/23, advocating Palestine’s eligibility for UN membership, and Resolution ES-10/24, which calls for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the illegality of Israeli occupation.
Her Excellency expressed deep concern over the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where prolonged Israeli aggression has escalated over the past year. She highlighted widespread violations, including religious desecrations, settlement expansions, and attacks on civilians, all in contravention of international law and UN resolutions.
Qatar commended the outcomes of the Cairo Ministerial Conference on Humanitarian Aid to Gaza, held on December 2, 2024. It reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment to providing extensive humanitarian assistance to alleviate Palestinian suffering. Sheikha Alya also noted Qatar’s collaborative mediation efforts with Egypt and the United States, which facilitated a ceasefire and humanitarian truce last year.
Her Excellency reiterated Qatar’s historical support for the Palestinian people, emphasizing the Arab Peace Initiative’s vision of a sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
On the Israeli escalation in Lebanon, Sheikha Alya welcomed the recent ceasefire agreement and expressed hopes for its extension to Gaza and the West Bank. She called for adherence to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and underscored Qatar’s steadfast support for Lebanon’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
Qatar reaffirmed its readiness to resume mediation efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region when the necessary conditions for seriousness and commitment by all parties are met.
