A threat of extermination is looming over hundreds of thousands of children in Rafah, in southern Gaza Strip, while thousands in northern the enclave are starving to death, the State of Qatar warned on Tuesday, urging the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) to stand firmly and strongly against the blatant international humanitarian law violations and collective punishment of civilian Palestinians.
This came in HE Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater's speech before the High-Level Segment of the 55th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, where Her Excellency warned that Palestinians are living hell on Earth under an apartheid regime well before Oct 7.
Highlighting the UN Security Council's failure to pass a cease-fire resolution, the 45th in its modern history and the third since Oct. 7, HE Al Khater called for an immediate ceasefire and for the hostilities against Gaza to stop.
All resolutions that were adopted, including Resolution 2720, which demands unimpeded humanitarian aid delivery to civilians in Gaza, were largely ignored by Israel, Her Excellency said, wondering whether human rights principles are applied to everyone as the world marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Her Excellency highlighted the mounting condemnation worldwide for applying human rights principles to some peoples while depriving others, which means that some people are seen as deserving of protection, freedom and self-determination, but others are not.
Highlighting the large-scale deaths associated with catastrophic conditions, tragic facts, and indelible horrific images, Her Excellency lambasted what is happening in Gaza as a genocidal war, pointing to Palestinian child named Darien, who lost over 50 family members in an Israeli air strike, and another child, Ahmed, who lost a coveted dream to be a human rights activist as he observed the world around him falling apart.
Meanwhile HE Al Khater red-flagged the rapidly deteriorating situation the West Bank at a time when the world is focusing on Gaza, saying that civilians in the West Ban suffered their deadliest year in 2023, even before Oct. 7, with Israel intensifying its military offensives, killing nearly 400 people and expanding its illegal settlements, resulting in the forcible displacement of over 3,300 people last year, and the demolition of more than 1,000 buildings.
Her Excellency added that the State of Qatar reiterates its condemnation of Israel's storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and attacks on worshipers, which have escalated over the past years, especially in the holy month of Ramadan, slamming these heinous acts of violence as provocations to more than two billion Muslims worldwide, and a flagrant violation of the international law.
In another context, Her Excellency urged for addressing a range of grave humanitarian crises around the world including the killing of nearly 14,000 people and the displacement of over 8 million people in Sudan - a crisis that triggered widespread violence, atrocities and mass displacement, which particularly affected women, with over four million women fearing gender-based violence.
The Sudan crisis underscores the urgent need for an orchestrated international response and an immediate political solution to thwart further destabilization inside the country and beyond, Her Excellency added.
Commenting on the crisis in Syria, Her Excellency renewed the State of Qatar's calls for united efforts to address the world's largest displacement challenge with over 12 million Syrians forced out of their homes. These efforts should include measures to end the Syrian people's suffering, realize their legitimate aspirations, facilitate a safe and dignified return for refugees, and preserve Syria's unity and territorial integrity, Her Excellency added, warning that the Syrian people's plight remains a source of grave concern despite various international efforts.
Her Excellency also addressed the ongoing violations and atrocities against the Rohingya, with over a million refugees ballooned in cramped camps, and more than 600,000 still fearing persecution in the Rakhine region, and being denied access to adequate food, health care and education. The time has come for the international community to marshal its forces to ensure justice and protect the Rohingya from the decades-long discrimination and oppression, Her Excellency said.
Her Excellency concluded her speech with reiterating the State of Qatar's keenness to continue cooperation with the HRC, expressing the State of Qatar's aspirations to extend its HRC membership for the period from 2025-2027, and stressing at the same time the State of Qatar's unwavering support and protection of human rights