Qatar confirms unprecedented humanitarian deterioration in Gaza due to Israeli aggression

Geneva:The State of Qatar has confirmed that the Israeli occupation s aggression against the Gaza Strip, ongoing since October 2023, has caused an unp...

Geneva: The State of Qatar has confirmed that the Israeli occupation’s aggression against the Gaza Strip, ongoing since October 2023, has caused an unprecedented deterioration in the humanitarian situation. The escalation has resulted in widespread starvation and the deliberate destruction of essential infrastructure, amounting to what Qatar described as a campaign of mass extermination.

This came in a statement delivered by Hamad Muhammad Al-Suwaidi, Second Secretary of Qatar’s Permanent Delegation in Geneva, during his participation in the 2025 session of the International Telecommunication Union. The session included a review of international assistance and support provided to Palestine. 

Hamad Muhammad Al-Suwaidi stated that the destruction of the telecommunications sector in the Gaza Strip is not merely the loss of a technical service, but the collapse of a vital infrastructure that affects every aspect of daily life for Gaza’s residents. He emphasized that this collapse has severely worsened both humanitarian and living conditions in the Strip.

Al-Suwaidi pointed out that the Palestinian telecommunications sector was already fragile due to long-standing Israeli restrictions on its development. Despite this, it has not been spared from Israeli bombardment. He noted that more than 74% of the sector’s infrastructure and assets—including information technology systems—have been destroyed. Many cellular network towers and sites are out of service due to bombing, severe fuel shortages, the prevention of importing essential equipment and spare parts, and tight restrictions on the movement of maintenance crews.

In this context, Hamad Muhammad Al-Suwaidi welcomed the steps taken by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to implement Resolution 1424, issued by the ITU Council in 2024. He emphasized the need for a clear and actionable executive plan to ensure the full and urgent implementation of the resolution. Al-Suwaidi stressed that such a plan is essential to overcoming the challenges facing the information and communications technology (ICT) sector in the State of Palestine. He underscored the importance of ensuring fair and comprehensive access to communication and internet services for all Palestinians. He also called for urgent international efforts to support the reconstruction of this vital sector following the end of the war on Gaza.