Qatari Emir calls for immediate action to stop Israeli ‘war crimes’ in Gaza

Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani has called for the international community to act quickly to stop the war crimes being carried out by Israel against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

According to the Qatari News Agency, the Emir delivered his remarks during a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The meeting was held on Sunday in the Qatari capital, Doha. Both officials discussed the ongoing situation in Palestine, focusing on the Gaza Strip.

The news agency also reported that Ki-moon informed the Qatari Emir about the efforts being exerted by the UN to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.

During the meeting, Sheikh Tamim stressed that the international community “has to afford international protection for the Palestinians and to bear the moral and legal responsibility to end the strict siege of the Gaza Strip in order to let the Palestinians live in dignity.”

The Emir said that his country has not yet put forth a proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, but warned that the international community’s inability to put an end to the Israel’s daily crimes would produce “intolerable humanitarian results”.

Israeli occupation forces have been carrying out a massive assault against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 508, including 112 children, 41 women and 25 elderly. The number of wounded is 3,150, including 904 children, 533 women and 25 elderly.

Israel announced that it had lost 20 occupation soldiers on the ground and dozens have been wounded; some were discharged from hospital while others are still being treated.

More than 1.8 million Palestinians have been living under a strict siege imposed by Israel since mid-2007, when Hamas swept the secular Fatah movement from the enclave after it refused to recognise the Islamic movement’s victory in the 2006 general elections.