Qatar calls Israeli West Bank annexation ‘flagrant challenge to international law’

DOHA, Sept 29: Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it “completely rejects” Israeli remarks concerning the annexation of territory in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
In a statement on X, the ministry described the Israeli statements as “a flagrant challenge to international law and legitimate international resolutions”. It urged the international community to “assume its responsibilities” and compel Israel to halt what it called “expansionist plans and settlement policy in the occupied Palestinian territories”.
The statement renewed Qatar’s “firm and supportive stance towards the Palestinian cause”, urging an end to the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. It also reaffirmed Doha’s backing for Lebanon and its “sovereignty over all its territories”.
Looking at developments on the ground over recent weeks in the Gaza Strip, we see a noticeable uptick in operations carried out by Israeli military forces targeting prominent figures, whether in Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
In recent weeks, Israeli forces have assassinated prominent field commanders, particularly in Hamas: the commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, the commander of the Rafah Brigade and now the commander of the Northern Brigade.
Through this policy of assassinations, Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to use these so-called military achievements in his electoral efforts to boost his popularity within Israeli society, especially as the Israeli opposition focuses on the failures of October 7.
He continually resorts to assassinations to replace those headlines amid an intensifying electoral battle.
The escalating number of assassinations in Gaza recently casts a shadow over the ceasefire agreement.
There are efforts by the Board of Peace and also the US administration to consolidate the ceasefire agreement and advance its phases, but Israel does not heed or care about these pressures. Rather, it continues its operations in the Gaza Strip and expands its occupation of what it calls the security zone.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called for the urgent protection of civilians in the occupied West Bank, saying surging violence, tighter restrictions on movement and accelerating settlement expansion are “making everyday life untenable”.
In a statement, the ICRC said dozens of Palestinians have been killed, hundreds injured and many more displaced this year as homes and property have been damaged or destroyed, leaving many without shelter or livelihoods.
“The frequent and severe violence must be brought to an end,” said Julien Lerisson, head of the ICRC’s delegation for Israel and the occupied territory. He said authorities must protect the population from violence, “including when that violence is inflicted by settlers”.
The ICRC said movement restrictions mean patients cannot reach healthcare centres and children cannot get to school. Ambulances are sometimes held up for hours at checkpoints or forced into long detours, endangering first responders and those they seek to help, he added.
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