LOC19:12
16:12 GMT
DOHA, Sept 15 (KUNA) -- Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said at a treacherous attack targeted an apartment building in the capital city of his county where the family of one the political leaders of Hamas and the movement's negotiating team were living.
"The residential area is home of schools, diplomatic missions," he said in the opening speech to the Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha on Monday.
"The heinous aggression left six martyrs, including a Qatari citizen - a member of the Internal Security Force (ISF), and injured 18 others," he added.
Representative of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah takes part in the Summit alongside Arab and Muslim leaders.
"The citizens and residents of this safe country along with entire world were shocked, not only because this aggression is a blatant and dangerous violation of a state's sovereignty and a trampling on international conventions and norms, but also because of the special circumstances surrounding this cowardly terrorist act," Sheikh Tamim regretted.
"Qatar, which is thousands of miles away from the location from which the hostile aircraft took off, is making strenuous efforts over the past two years to mediate a peace deal that could put an end to the deadly and destructive war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and secure the release of the Israeli hostages.
"This war has long since turned into a genocide and extermination.
"During these negotiations, Doha is hosting delegations from Hamas and Israel. The joint mediation with sisterly Egypt and the United States, has already achieved the release of 135 hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners under two truce deals in 2023 and 2025," the Qatari leader reminded.
Though the Israeli occupation forces resumed the war of aggression, Qatar continued the mediation effort in the hope of achieving a durable ceasefire, releasing of all hostages, ensuring withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, and releasing of Palestinian prisoners, he went on
When Doha came under the treacherous attack of September 9, the political leadership of Hamas were meeting to mull over a US proposal for ceasefire.
It is clear that the Israeli occupation authorities were aware of that meeting in a neighborhood frequented by diplomats, journalists, and others.
The Israeli occupation authorities decided to assassinate Hamas negotiators before they finalize response to the US proposal, Sheikh Tamim noted.
Blasting the Israeli occupation attack, he said it was impossible to deal with this level of malice and treachery.
"Those, who work systematically to assassinate the party with whom they are negotiating, are clearly determined to foil the negotiations. They (the Israeli occupation) claim that their goal is to free their captives, but the attack on Hamas negotiators prove that this claim is false," he argued.
Liberating the Israeli occupation soldiers and citizens is not among the priorities of their leaders; the negotiations are just a ploy to continue the war, Sheikh Tamim affirmed.
Referring to Egypt and Jordan, the Qatari leader said, "Two neighboring countries have signed peace agreements with Israel and are committed to them, and two other countries are committed to the Arab Peace Initiative and are seeking a peaceful settlement to the Middle East conflict."
Had the Israeli occupation authorities accepted the Arab Peace Initiative, the region would have been spared countless tragedies, he added. (pickup previous)
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