Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani slammed Israel’s “delusion” of trying to exert influence in the Arab region while addressing the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
The Amir’s address to the world leaders came exactly two weeks after an unprecedented Israeli attack on Doha killed five Hamas members and a Qatari Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) officer.
Sheikh Tamim denounced the act as “state terrorism” and accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deluding his citizens and hostages, claiming the motive has always been to make Gaza unlivable.
This live blog has now been closed. Scroll for comprehensive coverage of Amir’s speech and snippets of other world leaders’ key points:
Amir welcomes recognition of Palestinian statehood, urges more to follow suit
During his address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, Qatar’s Amir welcomed the recent wave of recognition for a Palestinian state, urging more UN member nations to follow suit.
On Monday, France joined five other European countries in formally recognising a Palestinian state at a high-level summit, following similar moves from the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal a day earlier.
Here’s Doha News’ interactive map of countries that now recognise a Palestinian state:
[Posted 9:33 PM]
Sports and diplomacy: Qatar’s Amir reiterates his country’s track record
Towards the end of his address to the world leaders, Sheikh Tamim said his country will continue to seek diplomatic ways to confront Israeli aggression and broker a ceasefire in Gaza, working with the U.S. and Egypt.
“Qatar has chosen to adhere to the principles of international law and not to fear speaking the truth,” he said, highlighting the country’s track record in mediation and hosting peace talks.
That success also stretches to the organisation of sports tournaments, which has now culminated in Qatar’s aspirations to host the Olympics in 2036, according to the Amir.
“Our organisation of the FIFA World Cup proved our ability to make sports competition a field for communication and rapprochement,” Sheikh Tamim added.
[Posted 9:20 PM]
Qatar’s Amir addresses regional issues
Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and the attack on Qatar were not the only talking points that Qatar’s Amir touched on during his address to the UNGA.
The Amir spoke about his country’s role in Lebanon, the ongoing period in Syria, and Sudan.
“Qatar continues to stand by Lebanon and its people to support its institutions,” he said. “As for the brotherly Sudan, its people are still living under an unprecedented crisis.”
Sheikh Tamim also expressed his optimism for Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
“Syria is going through a new phase that we hope will mark a path towards fulfilling the aspirations of its people for stability, development, and the rule of law, after a dark period in the country’s history,” he added.
[Posted 9:07 PM]
UN Security Council discusses Palestinian statehood, sideline meetings held
On the sidelines of the General Assembly, the UN Security Council is holding a separate meeting to discuss the situation in Palestine.
Similarly, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also briefly met and discussed the Russia-Ukraine war on the sidelines, according to various media reports.
[Posted 8:59 PM]
Sheikh Tamim says Israel untrue to its own citizens
Israeli actions, especially targeting the negotiating counterparts as well as targeting the mediator, highlight Netanyahu’s disregard for the hostages and citizens, according to the Amir.
“If the price of freeing the hostages is stopping the war, then the government of Israel has given up on freeing them,” he said, stressing that sustaining the war is in Israel’s interest.
“Israel wants to impose its will on its Arab surroundings, and anyone who objects to its propaganda is [deemed] a terrorist or anti-Semitic.
“Netanyahu dreams of turning the Arab region into an area of Israeli influence, and the Arab and Islamic countries have warned against the consequences of this delusion.”
[Posted 8:32 PM]
Qatar’s Amir: ‘Their goal is to destroy Gaza’
Qatar’s Amir said Israel’s actions are directed not towards attaining peace through negotiations but continuing its ongoing genocide and advancing its “Greater Israel” narrative.
“Their goal is to destroy Gaza so that it is unlivable and where no one can study or receive treatment,” the Amir said.
“He [Netanyahu] takes pride in preventing peace with the Palestinians and will continue to do so.”
[Posted 8:22 PM]
Qatar’s Amir takes podium at UNGA, rejects Israel’s ‘blatant’ violation
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani rejected Israel’s September 9 attack on Doha targeting the Hamas delegation, reiterating it as a “state terrorism.”
“As you know, Doha […] suffered a treacherous attack that targeted the negotiating delegation of Hamas in a neighbourhood that included schools,” Qatar’s Amir said.
“This aggression was a violation against our sovereignty[…]the entire world was shocked because of this heinous act that we classified as state terrorism.
“If we allow violations to continue, it means allowing the rule of the jungle where perpetrators and violators enjoy benefits because they can.”
[Posted 8:17 PM]
Jordanian King: Israel dismantling foundations of peace
Jordan’s King Abdullah II posed several questions in front of the UN General Assembly regarding the international community’s apathy towards Israeli actions in Gaza and beyond.
“How long before we recognise that statehood is not something Palestinians need to earn? It is not an award, it is an indisputable right,” the Jordanian King said, terming Israel’s actions an “abandonment of humanity”.
“We have seen flagrant [Israeli] violations in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia and most recently, Qatar.
“Its actions dismantle the very foundations on which peace can stand.”
[Posted 7:50 PM]
Peruvian President calls for ‘more and better’ UN actions
Peru’s President Dina Boluarte called for “more and better” actions from the UN in the face of ongoing global conflicts.
“As we’re talking, in other parts of the world, they’re killing children,” Boluarte said, alluding to Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, without directly mentioning it.
She added that the UN needs to adapt to be in tune with modern challenges to tackle a period that “recalls the darkest time of our history”.
[Posted 7:39 PM]
Erdogan’s moving speech highlights Gaza’s suffering
The Turkish president displayed images revealing the immense suffering caused by Israel’s genocidal war and the famine gripping the Gaza Strip.
“Right before our eyes, a genocide has been going on for over 700 days,” Erdogan said, adding Israeli actions “cast a shadow” on the very first words of the UN charter.
He started his speech welcoming several countries’ recent decision to recognise the State of Palestine, while calling for others to soon follow suit.
[Posted 6:59 PM]
Erdogan slams Israel over Gaza genocide and Qatar attack
From the UNGA podium, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed the Israeli attack on Doha targeting Hamas negotiators.
“The attack on Qatar has shown that the Israeli leadership is completely out of control,” Erdogan said.
“[Israeli PM Benjamin] Netanyahu is obviously not interested in peace and releasing captives. Not only the neighbours, but all countries in the Middle East are subject to the Israeli threats.”
Erdogan said Israeli actions have “eroded” the basic values that emerged and were the basis of the UN’s formation after the Second World War.
[Posted 6:56 PM]
Indonesia ready to have ‘boots on the ground’ for peace in Gaza and elsewhere
Indonesian Prabowo Subianto said his country is ready to act beyond words for world peace during his UNGA address.
“Indonesia is prepared to deploy 20,000 or even more of our sons and daughters to help secure peace in Gaza or elsewhere,” Subianto said, adding the country is also ready to assist Palestine with its agricultural yield, describing the ongoing genocide and famine in Gaza as “catastrophic”.
[Posted 6:31 PM]
Trump’s lengthy speech leaves plenty to unpack
The U.S. President exceeded his allotted time, using much of his speech to criticise immigration and green energy initiatives, blaming them for weakening Europe and destabilising the world.
He called for “stronger borders and traditional energy,” accusing immigration and green energy regulations of destroying the “free market and a large part of the planet”.
[Posted 6:29 PM]
Trump: Middle East closer to U.S. than ever; no mention of attacks on Qatar
During his speech, Trump claimed that the Middle East and the U.S. are closer than ever before, referencing his visit to the Gulf states earlier this year.
Trump visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates in May, penning multiple trade and defence agreements during what was his first official international trip of his tenure.
Trump refrained from mentioning Israel’s attack on Qatar on September 9, which targeted Hamas members who had convened to discuss the latest ceasefire proposal drafted by Trump.
[Posted 5:56 PM]
Trump claims to have saved ‘millions’ of lives by stopping multiple wars
U.S. President Donald claimed to have saved “millions and millions of lives” by ending seven wars in as many months during his tenure, during his General Assembly address.
“I am very honoured to have done it [ending the wars],” Trump quipped, claiming the UN did not offer help in any case.
“All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that stopped on the way up in the middle and a teleprompter that stopped working,” Trump said as laughter filled the hall.
Trump also boasted about the U.S.’s strikes on Iran, the eventual ceasefire between Israel and Iran, curtailing “illegal immigration”, and termed the Gaza ceasefire as something that he needs to “get it done”.
[Posted 5:33 PM]
Lula slams West’s ‘ethical exceptionalism’ in Gaza genocide
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took to the podium as the first UN member state leader, slamming the West’s complicity in the Gaza genocide as well as the U.S.’s recent attacks on boats in the Caribbean.
“Nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” the Brazilian President said. “This massacre would not have happened without the complicity of those who have prevented it.”
Lula added that the “international humanitarian law and the myth of ethical exceptionalism of the West” are being buried under Gaza’s rubble alongside thousands of innocent Palestinian women and children, also mentioning Israel’s strikes across the Middle East, including Qatar.
[Posted 5:15 PM]
World now at ‘make or break point’ says UNGA President
UNGA President Annalena Baerbock, during her opening address, claimed the world has reached a “make it or break it point” with raging conflicts, climate challenges and undermining of human rights.
In light of the recent funding cuts, Baerbock demanded full support for the UN in achieving three major pillars for a secure future: peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development.
[Posted 4:53 PM]
Secretary-General calls to uphold international law
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on member states to uphold international law, blasting “certain countries” for acting as if “the rules do not apply to them.”
Urging everyone to recommit to the principles that gave rise to the UN eighty years ago, Guterres called for an immediate end to “reckless destruction and relentless human suffering” in Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza.
The UN Secretary-General said that nothing can justify the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people and systematic destruction of Gaza and that Israel’s unchecked impunity has defied basic humanity.
“When accountability shrinks, graveyards grow,” Guterres added.
[Posted 4:32 PM]
When will Qatar’s Amir address the UN General Assembly?
Qatar’s Amir is set to be the tenth in the speaking order.
UNGA President Annalena Baerbock’s address will officially open the session following the organisation’s Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, U.S. President Donald Trump, and President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia will then follow.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II will speak ahead of South Korean President Jae Myung Lee, the last speaker before Qatar’s Amir.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, among others, will speak at the afternoon session.
[Posted 3:52 PM]
Main agendas at UNGA this year
Gaza ceasefire and recognition of Palestinian state, on the face of Israel’s ongoing genocidal war in Gaza, are likely to be major talking points as the UN General Assembly marks its 80th year.
Similarly, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other pressing geopolitical and international issues will be included as more than 150 leaders are set to take the podium.
Ahead of the first day of the high-level week, France and Saudi Arabia co-chaired a special summit on Monday to revive discussions on the two-state solution concerning Israel and Palestine.
France was among the six European nations to announce formal recognition of the Palestinian state during the meeting, which was attended by Qatar’s Amir as well as the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
[Posted 3:45 PM]
