The UAE reiterated its strong condemnation of the blatant Israeli attack against Qatar, calling it an “irresponsible escalation that threatens sustainable peace and regional stability.”
Speaking at the emergency session of the UN Security Council on Thursday, Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the UAE President, said “the attacks on the State of Qatar further inflames an already explosive situation.” He also called out the council’s “failure to act decisively against repeated Israeli violations of fundamental principles of the UN Charter.”
Gargash underscored Israel’s deadly strikes in Qatar targeting Hamas leaders on Tuesday violated international law, and only served to “fuel more violence, extremism, and chaos — precisely when the region desperately needs a ceasefire, dialogue, and de-escalation.”
He called the military strikes reckless and emphasised “the relentless threats of annexation of Palestinian land, and attacks on neighbouring countries undermine efforts for lasting peace and threaten the entire region’s stability.”
On Wednesday, security and political analysts in the UAE also told Khaleej Times that Israel’s military action that killed six people and injured several others was not only “an attack on the sovereignty of a Gulf state but one that puts the Abraham Accords “in a more precarious position than at any point since their inception.”
Dr Kristian Patrick Alexander, senior fellow and lead researcher at Rabdan Security and Defence Institute in Abu Dhabi, said the strike in Doha on Tuesday was “not just a military action. It was a profound diplomatic and symbolic challenge to the entire framework of the Accords. It was a direct, kinetic violation of a fellow Gulf state's sovereignty.”
'Qatar does not stand alone’
During his speech, Gargash also assured “Qatar does not stand alone”, adding: “The Council spoke with one voice to condemn aggression. Our collective voice should make a difference against these unlawful acts of transgression against international law.”
Gargash added the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Qatar, a day after Israel launched strikes in Doha.
“(Sheikh Mohamed) reaffirmed our complete solidarity with Qatar, its leadership and people, and our firm support for all measures that Qatar takes to protect its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the safety of its people,” Gargash noted.
'Let’s work together'
Gargash challenged the UN Security Council and those present during the meeting to work together toward a better future for the region — one, he described, that is “built on justice, coexistence, shared prosperity, and good neighborly relations, free from extremist ideologies of any kind.”
“(At) our gathering today, we reaffirm the centrality of international law and the sovereignty of States as well as the wisdom required of all of us to achieve peace and security,” he added.
