Qatar condemns 'deliberate' Israeli attacks on Gaza shelters

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Qatar has condemned what it described as Israel's deliberate targeting of displaced people and UNRWA-run schools sheltering tens of thousands across the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

Abdulaziz Al-Mansoori, Qatar's representative, expressed this stance during the annual Pledging Conference of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, as reported by Qatari state news agency QNA.

He warned that continued Israeli assaults on UNRWA facilities hosting displaced individuals could trigger "anarchy and instability" in the region, with severe regional and global repercussions.

Al-Mansoori urged the international community to provide "ample support for humanitarian response plans and operations for Palestinian refugees and displaced people."

He also reiterated Qatar's opposition to "any attempts to either terminate or reduce the role of UNRWA, strip Palestinians of their refugee status, or liquidate their cause."

Israeli legislation targets UNRWA operations

On Oct. 28, Israel’s Knesset passed legislation targeting UNRWA, potentially ending its operations in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel also formally informed the UN on Nov. 4 of its decision to revoke the 1967 agreement governing UNRWA’s support for Palestinian refugees.

Since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza after a Hamas attack in October last year, over 44,500 Palestinians — most of them women and children — have been killed, with nearly 106,000 injured, according to official figures.

International condemnation and legal actions

The second year of violence in Gaza has drawn widespread international condemnation. Starvation tactics and blocked humanitarian aid deliveries have been denounced as deliberate attempts to destroy an entire population.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its actions in Gaza, amid mounting international outrage.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar