'Israel's occupation defies consensus Palestine is right'

ANKARA

Despite international consensus that the Palestinian cause is justified, the international community is helpless in the face of Israeli intransigence and persistence in occupying Palestinian and Arab lands, Qatar’s emir said on Tuesday.

Besides imposing a stifling siege on the Gaza Strip, Israel continues a policy of expanding settlements in flagrant violation of international law, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani told the 75th session of the UN General Assembly via video link.

“The lingering of the Palestinian cause without a just solution and Israel’s continued settlements and creation of pretexts on the ground without being deterred pose the biggest question mark on the credibility of the international community and its institutions,” al-Thani stressed.

On the COVID-19 outbreak, al-Thani said the pandemic has reminded everyone that we live on the same planet and that multilateral cooperation is the only way to address the challenges of epidemics, climate, and the environment.

Al-Thani underlined that more than three years have passed since the start of the “unjust and illegal blockade on Qatar.”

“Despite the blockade, Qatar continued the march of progress and development in various fields,” he stressed.

Qatar has praised Turkey’s support in the wake of the blockade, imposed in June 2017.

The General Assembly is scheduled to run through Sept. 29.