Qatar 'surprised' at Ban Ki-moon's statement on Hamas

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani voiced his surprise at a statement issued on Friday by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in which he held Hamas responsible for violating the humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

The Qarari Emir told Ban Ki-moon that the UN should have verified the incident before releasing the statement, especially since the statement admitted that “the UN has no independent means to verify exactly what happened.”

He also expressed his disappointment with the UN’s silence over Israel’s killing of Palestinian civilians and the destruction of their homes, and urged him to take a clear stand on Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people.

The Emir also urged all relevant parties to open the border crossings and allow for the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.