By Rania Abu Shamala
ISTANBUL (AA) – The emir of Qatar on Tuesday called for the Israeli war against Gaza and Lebanon, to stop, vowing to continue Gaza mediation efforts “until a permanent cease-fire is reached.”
In his speech at the opening session of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said Gaza cease-fire mediation is “a strategic political choice at the regional and international levels, and a humanitarian duty before being a political one.”
“We will continue to make efforts with our partners until a permanent ceasefire is reached, securing the release of prisoners and detainees, taking the path of a just solution in accordance with the resolutions of the international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, and enabling the Palestinian people to obtain all their legitimate rights, the foremost of which is their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the 1967 borders.”
“Despite the daunting challenges, obstruction attempts, and the aspersions we are subjected to, we will continue our mediation efforts to resolve the disputes through peaceful means,” he added.
He said: “There is no Israeli partner for peace during the current government's tenure, and no peace process taking place, but rather a genocide.”
The 79th UN General Assembly session, bringing together hundreds of world leaders, is set to continue through Sept. 30.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since a Hamas attack last October despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
Nearly 41,500 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and around 96,100 injured, according to local health authorities.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel also faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.