Qatar praises Türkiye's support for Palestinian rights

ISTANBUL

Qatar appreciates Türkiye's stance in supporting the rights of Palestinians, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said on Wednesday.

"In this crisis, we entirely reject double standards. The killing of civilians cannot be condemned on one side and justified on the other," Al-Thani said at a press conference in Qatar's capital Doha along with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.

Condemning the collective punishment policies directed towards the Gaza Strip, Al-Thani stated that Qatar has an unwavering stance against targeting civilians, regardless of the side responsible.

"We cannot find enough 'yes' votes to lift the oppression on the people living in the Gaza Strip. The issue of humanitarian aid is being politicized and turned into a tool for sanctions."

Al-Thani called Israeli officials' accusatory statements against Qatar "provocative," adding: "All parties involved in violating international law (in the Israel-Palestine conflict) must be held accountable."

He noted that they would continue their efforts to release the prisoners held by Hamas.

Al-Thani pointed out that Israel's attacks on schools and hospitals in Gaza represent a policy of collective punishment.

With Türkiye, Qatar stresses the need to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip and prevent the forced displacement of the local population, he said.

Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign on Gaza following a surprise attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, putting the enclave’s residents under total siege, with a blockade of food, fuel and medical supplies.

Though aid supplies started to trickle in, the level is far below the needs of the besieged enclave.

To date, nearly 7,200 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 5,791 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.