Global Security Forum opens in Qatar with focus on Syria's reconstruction

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) – The seventh edition of the Global Security Forum opened in the Qatari capital Doha on Monday to discuss a host of topics, including the reconstruction of war-torn Syria.

Held under the theme “The Impact of Non-State Actors on Global Security,” the three-day event is attended by world leaders, senior government officials, security professionals, and academics.

The forum explores the challenges emanating from transnational terrorist groups, private military companies, and digital disruptors in light of the geopolitical dynamics.

It also discusses the post-conflict reconstruction in Syria and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the security and mediation framework under international humanitarian law.

"Our international system is witnessing radical transformations that require a re-evaluation of our concepts of security," Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said in his opening speech.

Turning to the Israeli war on Gaza, Sheikh Mohammed condemned Israel’s use of food and medicine as weapons of war as “a shame to the world.”

"Supporting the Palestinian people isn't a political position, but a moral duty that we believe in," he added.

Israel has closed Gaza’s border crossings to food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid since March 2, triggering a deepening humanitarian disaster, according to reports from government bodies, human rights groups, and international agencies.

The Israeli army resumed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a Jan. 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Israel has killed more than 52,200 Palestinians in the enclave since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.