At least 274 Palestinians were killed and nearly 700 wounded in Israeli attacks on the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza on Saturday.
Qatar’s Defence Minister Khalid Bin Mohamed Al Attiyah has called out Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip as a crime against humanity and “genocide against Palestinian children”.
“Gaza Strip has been blockaded for almost 20 years and is described as the world’s largest open prison. It is now the world’s largest mass grave,” Al Attiyah said during his speech at Bogazici University in Istanbul.
The Qatari official expressed grave concerns about the recent destruction and killings of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, noting that these actions have created a severe security threat to the entire region.
“The expansion of Israeli settlement in the Palestinian territory has escalated the conflict and undermined international efforts to ensure peace and security in the region,” Al Attiyah added.
While noting Qatar’s role at the forefront of peace efforts through mediation and dialogue, Al Attiyah urged global powers to enforce UN Security Council resolutions that have been in place since 1945.
“The UN Security Council should reaffirm its previous resolution and take the necessary step to recognise the state of Palestine as a full member of the organisation and to acknowledge its rightful border and territorial integrity,” he said.
He also stressed that global collaboration is essential to resolving the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza, widely referred to as a genocide, and to revive the Arab Peace Initiative, which aims to establish a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.
He went on to praise recent recognitions of Palestinian statehood by Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Slovenia as significant strides towards achieving “regional peace and stability”.
‘Complete bloodbath’
At least 274 Palestinians were killed and 698 others wounded in Israeli attacks on Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza on Saturday, the Palestinian health ministry said.
Israeli occupation forces said it rescued four captives during the carnage, which was one of the single bloodiest Israeli assaults of the eight-month-old war.
The European Union called the event “a massacre”, with doctors describing the scenes inside Al Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza as a “complete bloodbath”.
One medic compared the interior of the hospital as “a slaughterhouse”.
Since October 7, Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 36,801 people, with 83,680 wounded.
Al Attiyah emphasised that maintaining stability in Gaza and Palestine is essential for preserving peace. He also highlighted the pivotal role of the International Court of Justice in addressing the ongoing conflict in Gaza, amplifying the voices of the Palestinian people, and advocating for justice
