On Saturday, a total of 39 babies in incubators died as a result of the absence of oxygen and electricity

Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has called out the “global immunity” towards the ongoing Israeli massacres of Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday, as the occupation forces continue to carry out harrowing crimes in the Strip.

The remarks were made during an extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh that convened global leaders to “unify efforts” on Gaza.

Addressing the summit, Sheikh Tamim said the global gathering is taking place “at a crucial time in the history” of the Middle East in light of the “atrocities” being committed by the “Israeli war machine” in Gaza. 

The Gulf state’s leader began his speech by lashing out at the international community’s failure to “shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities” to halt the war, which has dragged on for more than a month and killed more than 11,000 people, the majority of which children.

“As our hearts break with pain at the sight of the mass killing of children, women, and the elderly, and the human suffering, we wonder how long will the international community continue to treat Israel as if it is above international law? And how long will it be condoned to flout all international laws in its brutal, never-ending war on the country’s indigenous population? ” the Qatari leader asked.

So far, Israel has killed at least 11,078 Palestinians, including 4,506 children in its relentless bombardment of Gaza, in which it has targeted hospitals, shelters, residential buildings for more than one month.

The occupying state has forcibly displaced more than one million indigenous Palestinians in its ongoing war, with disturbing scenes displaying an increase in the mass expulsion of civilians from the north to the south of Gaza in recent days.

Amir Tamim also fired back at “blatant racist statements by Israeli leaders that are not denounced by their allied countries’ leaders” while highlighting “a noticeable increase in the levels of immunity among some countries” towards the horrors in Gaza.

“We have seen their immunity to the scenes of indiscriminate killing of Palestinian civilians, whether children or women, as well as the bombing of hospitals and shelters, no longer affecting them, and their levels of immunity have reached the point of seeing the bodies of innocent people being eaten by dogs, and these countries do not do anything,” he said.

Targeting of hospitals

On Friday, Israel intensified its attacks on healthcare facilities, targeting the vital Al Shifa Hospital, Al Rantisi Hospital, and the Indonesian Hospital. Doctors at Al Shifa Hospital confirmed all 39 premature babies who were being held in incubators had died following weeks of warnings due to a lack of oxygen and electricity.

Israeli tanks also encircled the Al Rantisi Hospital and forced out thousands of civilians taking shelter inside the building before then proceeding to shoot them en masse.

In his speech, Sheikh Tamim also questioned the absence of action from the international community to halt such crimes add addressed Israel’s long-used claims on the alleged presence of Hamas tunnels under health facilities.

“How did bombing hospitals become a normal thing? At first it is denied and the victims are accused, then it is justified by the existence of tunnels underneath these places, then it becomes something that does not need to be justified after feelings become blunted and eyes become acclimated to seeing tragedies,” he said.

The Qatari leader added: “Who would have imagined that hospitals would be openly bombed in the twenty-first century, and that entire families would be erased from the records by the indiscriminate bombing of residential neighbourhoods and refugee camps?”

Last week, IOF spokesperson Daniel Hagari alleged Hamas is using the Qatar-funded Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa bin Thani Hospital, Al-Shifa Hospital and Al Quds Hospital as bases for Hamas operations.

The allegations were swiftly dismissed by the Gulf state as well as multiple independent investigations that found the tunnels in question were in fact water tanks. 

Sheikh Tamim on Saturday invited the United Nations to conduct further investigations into the Israeli claims, though he noted that “there  is  no justification for such a crime.

Despite the investigations, Israel has continued its bombardment of hospitals and has in turn trapped thousands of patients, medics and civilians inside. Doctors on the ground have not been able to operate on patients due to the absence of medical resources and electricity due to the complete Israeli siege.

Qatar’s mediation

Sheikh Tamim also tapped into Qatar’s crucial mediation role, in which it has so far managed to release four captives held by Hamas in Gaza on humanitarian grounds as part of wider efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Strip.

“The State of Qatar is unflinching in its historical position in support of the steadfastness of the brotherly Palestinian people and their just cause,” he noted.

Sheikh Tamim highlighted his country’s joint efforts with the international community in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza “despite continuous Israeli intransigence to hinder it”, referring to Israel’s chokehold over the entry of aid into the Strip. 

“We categorically reject the use of arbitrariness in providing humanitarian aid and threatening to bomb it as a means of pressure and political extortion. We stress the need to make this aid accessible to all parts of the Gaza Strip. This is the weakest level of faith, and the least that we can all do,” the amir said.

Qatar dispatched four aid flights carrying 180 tonnes of aid for Gaza last week after sending three three previous delivered last month that carried a total of 124 tonnes of food and medical aid.

“We are also continuing to support all regional and international diplomatic efforts  for  de-escalation,  stemming  the  bloodshed,  and  protecting  civilians, including making efforts in humanitarian mediation to release the hostages,” he said.

Qatar, the host of a Hamas political bureau, has been playing a central diplomatic role since the beginning of the latest Israeli aggression in an effort to secure a ceasefire and release civilian captives in Hamas custody.

Last week, Israel confirmed that Hamas has 242 captives in Gaza, all of whom were captured during the October 7 operation, ‘Operation Al Aqsa Flood’.  Carried out by the Al-Qassam Brigades—Hamas’ armed wing—the operation marked the biggest Palestinian attack on Israel and resulted in the killing of some 1,400 Israelis.

Hamas managed to break out of the besieged Gaza Strip and infiltrated occupied territories through air, land and sea for the first time in years. 

The Palestinian group said the operation was a response to Israel’s intensified raids on holy sites in Jerusalem in recent months, as well as its decades-long crippling occupation of Palestinian land.

However, Israel has since used the operation as the pretext for its brutal onslaught in Gaza.

Hamas says around 60 captives held in Gaza have also been killed in the Israeli bombardment. At least two other captives were killed by the Israeli aggression on Thursday, as per a Hamas statement.

Regional frustration

Sheikh Tamim echoed the regional frustration towards the lack of action in holding Israel to account and ending its crimes on the ground in Gaza.

“You all know the position and feelings of our people regarding what is happening, and there is no need to elaborate on the matter,” he said.

Amir Tamim added: “Difference over this or that issue should not be a justification for disagreement over taking a firm stance vis-a-vis the ongoing crime in Gaza, nor should we be satisfied with denunciation and condemnation statements.”

In his address, the amir warned that Israel’s reckless “crimes of genocide” would not only harm “the Arab and Islamic national security, but also the national security of our countries.”

The Qatari leader’s statement appeared to echo fears over a potential outbreak of a regional war as Hezbollah engages in battle along Lebanon’s southern border with Israel.

Sheikh Tamim warned that “the Israeli plans in the aftermath of this criminal war are a repetition of its colonial policies that have thwarted all peace initiatives and even agreements and led to all these crises.”

“The basic thing is that it refuses to recognise the rights of  the  Palestinian  people,  and  only  thinks  about  security  arrangements  while continuing  the  colonialist  mentality  and  its  practices  towards  the  indigenous people.”