Doha: More than eleven months have passed since the beginning of the Israeli occupation’s ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in tens of thousands of martyrs, wounded, and missing individuals, causing massive destruction and an unprecedented humanitarian disaster in the region.
Since then, the State of Qatar has spared no effort in alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people.
From the early days of the aggression, the State of Qatar has collaborated with regional and international partners, as well as United Nations organizations and agencies, to de-escalate and seek a ceasefire. Qatar’s diligent efforts culminated in a temporary humanitarian truce last November, during which a number of prisoners and hostages were released, and emergency humanitarian aid was delivered to assist those in Gaza. Qatar has continued its mediation efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire.
In coordination with UN agencies and other countries, the flow of Qatari aid to the Palestinian people has
not ceased throughout the past eleven months. The aid packages from the Qatar Fund for Development, the Qatar Red Crescent Society, Qatar Charity, and other national entities included relief items, food supplies, shelter materials, tents, a field hospital, and ambulances.
The visit of HE Minister of State for International Cooperation Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater to Gaza on Nov. 26 as part of a Qatari diplomatic delegation sent to oversee the flow of Qatari humanitarian aid from the Rafah crossing, comes in line with Qatar’s significant commitment to supporting Gaza.
HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani issued a direction to treat 1500 injured individuals and sponsor 3,000 orphaned Palestinians from Gaza, further demonstrating Qatar’s commitment to standing with the Palestinian people. Qatar undertook the responsibility of transporting the injured and their escorts to Doha for treatment, continuing its steadfast support and ongoing efforts to alleviate the plight of the Palestinian people, in coopera
tion with various regional and international partners.
To reaffirm the State of Qatar’s consistent approach to enhancing its partnership with the United Nations and its agencies to support the Palestinian people, the Qatar Red Crescent signed an agreement earlier this month with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), with support from the Qatar Fund for Development amounting to $4.5 million, to provide cash assistance to Palestinian workers and patients from Gaza currently stranded in the West Bank, totaling more than 4,400 individuals.
This agreement reflects Qatar and the United Nations’ commitment to providing essential humanitarian aid to one of the most vulnerable groups. This aid, in light of the urgent humanitarian appeal issued by UNRWA in the occupied Palestinian territories, provides vital support and alleviates the suffering of displaced individuals who have been unable to return to Gaza since the onset of the Israeli aggression in October.
St
rategic humanitarian partnerships between Qatar and various United Nations agencies aim to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those in need and ensure that essential humanitarian aid reaches those who deserve it. This reflects Qatar’s ongoing commitment to global humanitarian issues in general and its steadfast support for the Palestinian people in particular, amidst the ongoing war in Gaza and escalating violence in the West Bank.
Qatar, through the Qatar Fund for Development, donated $25 million to UNRWA in July to enable the Agency to provide essential services to Palestinian refugees and support its activities in human development and humanitarian fields in the region. Additionally, last year the State of Qatar contributed $18 million to UNRWA’s program budget in support of Palestinian refugees.
In the context of Qatar’s pivotal role in supporting the Palestinian people, two political analysts emphasized the importance of the participation of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, in the Uni
ted Nations General Assembly meetings, given Qatar’s crucial efforts to stop the war on Gaza from its inception until now.
The analysts said in a statement to QNA that Qatar has positioned itself among major countries due to its efforts in defending the Palestinians in Gaza, whom many global actors have abandoned.
In this context, political analyst and researcher at the Middle East Institute in Washington Hassan Mneimneh noted that the past year has been harsh for the Middle East and the world as a whole due to the ongoing war in Gaza. He pointed out that Qatar has positioned itself among the major countries based on its efforts in defending the Palestinian people.
He added that the issue is not about geographic size, emphasizing the importance of moral, ethical, and humanitarian stature; therefore, one can speak about Qatar’s leading and essential role and the presence of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at international conferences advocating for the rights of the Palestinian people, which ha
ve been neglected by international institutions and leaderships.
For his part, political analyst Mohamed Elmenshawy said in his remarks to QNA that it is crucial for HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to participate in the UN General Assembly meetings, given Qatar’s significant role in ending the war on Gaza since the beginning of the crisis.
He noted that Qatar is one of the three countries sponsoring the negotiation process alongside the United States and Egypt, and its role is well recognized in American circles.
He pointed out that this is the first summit HH the Amir participates in which bringing together world leaders after the war on Gaza, making it the first time that dozens of presidents, monarchs, and leaders gather to discuss this crisis on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings.
As part of efforts to provide life-saving assistance to those in need in Gaza, Qatar Charity and UNRWA signed an agreement last month worth $3 million. This agreement contributes to pro
viding food, emergency shelter, healthcare services, and other crucial humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable populations in Gaza.
This comes as part of Qatar Charity’s humanitarian and developmental programs and projects in Gaza, which were established to mobilize resources, according to the plan pledged at the 9th Conference on Effective Partnership for Better Humanitarian Aid held in Kuwait last May. The goal is to enhance humanitarian interventions and early recovery in Gaza and achieve effective response and reconstruction. The total cost of these projects is estimated at approximately $120 million, covering areas such as life-saving interventions, shelter, health, education, and economic empowerment.
Demonstrating Qatar’s active role in supporting Palestinian people through international forums, the Ministry of Labor participated with a high-level delegation in June in the meeting of partners to support the International Labor Organization (ILO) efforts in the occupied Palestinian t
erritories, held on the sidelines of the 112th session of the ILC. This participation was aimed at emphasizing the need for the ILO to take necessary actions to assist workers in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as to enhance its efforts in providing emergency humanitarian aid to the three production sectors in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
During the meeting, HE Minister of Labor Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri said that the catastrophic humanitarian conditions in Gaza and other Palestinian territories require urgent and decisive international action to achieve an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the region, emphasizing the importance of emergency humanitarian assistance and facilitating its delivery to those affected by the war to save lives, in addition to preparing for the post-war phase and uniting efforts to help the Palestinian people recover from the war’s impacts and reconstruct Gaza.
The Minister of Labor also noted that Qatar is contributing to the ILO’s development programs for 2
024, emphasizing the need to allocate part of this contribution to support the ILO’s emergency response plan to address the crisis in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Qatar’s efforts and ongoing initiatives to alleviate the suffering of people in Gaza since the onset of the aggression have received numerous international commendations. These acknowledgments have confirmed that Qatari diplomacy has tirelessly worked, alongside its international and regional partners, to de-escalate tensions in the occupied Palestinian territories and contribute to providing urgent humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza. This reflects Qatar’s esteemed position, the international community’s appreciation for its successful diplomacy, and its contributions to enhancing regional and international peace and stability.
In this context, HE Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres praised the efforts of the State of Qatar and the French Republic for the agreement between Israel and Hamas in January o
f this year. This agreement allowed for the delivery of medicines and humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, particularly in the most affected and damaged areas, considering the entry of these vital supplies and humanitarian aid as encouraging.
Additionally, the United Nations Security Council, in its resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan, commended the diligent diplomatic efforts of the State of Qatar to achieve a cessation of hostilities in Gaza, secure the release of detainees, expand the scope of relief aid, and facilitate its delivery to civilians amidst the catastrophic humanitarian situation and famine threat faced by the Gaza Strip.
In this context, HE UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths commended the efforts and role of the State of Qatar in the field of humanitarian work.
For his part, HE Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit praised Qatar attention and care for injured Palestinian children from
Gaza who are receiving treatment in Qatar, describing it as unprecedented. During a visit to Sidra Medicine Hospital in April, accompanied by HE Minister of State for International Cooperation Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater, he said that Sidra Hospital’s efforts deserve global praise and support.
The treatment of injured Palestinian children is part of an initiative by HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to treat 1,500 Palestinians from Gaza in Doha, which reflects Qatar’s ongoing support and continuous efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, in collaboration with various regional and international partners, given the current challenging humanitarian conditions in the Strip.
Qatar, as a leadership, government, and people, has consistently been at the forefront of strong support for the Palestinian cause and the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state. Qatar has affirmed its unwavering stance in supporting the Palestinian people until their leg
itimate rights are achieved through all international forums. Qatari humanitarian institutions have also been and continue to be actively present in providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. For years, they have collaborated with UN agencies, bodies, and organizations to implement various projects aimed at improving the living conditions of the Palestinian people and enhancing their resilience in facing the difficult circumstances resulting from occupation practices.
Source: Qatar News Agency