Qatar urges ceasefires in Israel’s wars in Gaza, Lebanon at EU-GCC summit
Al Jazeera
Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also calls for lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Qatar’s emir has called for ceasefires in Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon and stressed the importance of establishing a Palestinian state at a meeting with European Union leaders in Brussels, Belgium.
The 27-nation EU is seeking to work more closely with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – which brings together Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – in addressing conflicts in both the Middle East and Ukraine.
In opening remarks at the first EU-GCC summit on Wednesday, Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani outlined the need for creating a “sovereign and independent” Palestinian state existing side by side with Israel. He also called for a ceasefire in Israel’s ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
“The destructive war waged by Israel today on Palestine and Lebanon made war crimes as something normal. That is something that we cannot accept,” Al Thani said.
“We need a settlement for these conflicts. We need to find a solution to the Palestinian cause on the basis of international legitimacy and of the 1967 borders … A ceasefire would be a first step before a serious round of negotiations for a definite solution to the Palestinian cause.”
