Summit aimed at halting offensive
HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani opened the emergency summit on Gaza at the Doha Sherton yesterday.
Welcoming the participants, HH the Emir expressed thanks and appreciation for accepting Qatar’s invitation at a time when the Palestinians in Gaza were facing the fiercest war machine and the Israeli occupation’s tyranny with determination and preparedness for a sacrifice surpassing the betrayal surrounding them.
HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani said the presence of Arab leaders had not only expressed their awareness of such facts, but also underlined that there was no contradiction between Qatar’s call and any other summit.
“I attended the Riyadh summit yesterday and we all, God willing, will attend another summit in Kuwait on Monday,” the Emir said.
He hoped that other Arab brothers (leaders) had taken part, saying that they undoubtedly know what we know regarding the situation in Gaza and its impact on all of us at present and in the future.
He said it would have been better if they had held discussions with us around this table even if they had another viewpoint, because our ultimate objective was a collective discussion on means of halting aggression and alleviating the suffering of our people in Gaza at the summit.
The Emir also hoped that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had taken part to discuss the issue of his people in Gaza, but he preferred not to come.
He underlined the importance of halting the Israeli aggression, the withdrawal, the lifting of siege and the opening of crossings.
The meeting was attended by Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Algerian President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika, Comoros President Ahmed Abdullah Sambi, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, Chairman of the Supreme State Council of Mauritania Gen. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Iraqi Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi, Secretary of the People’s General Committee in Libyan al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, Omani Minister in Charge of Foreign Affairs Youssuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation Al Tayeb al-Fassi al-Fahri and Djibouti’s Minister of Wakfs and Islamic Affairs Dr Hamid Abdi Sultan.
Also taking part were Senegalese President and Chairman of the Islamic Summit Abdoulaye Wade, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek, Head of Hamas Politburo Khalid Mishal, Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad Movement Ramadan Shalah and Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Ahmed Jibril are also taking part.
HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani led Qatar’s delegation to the summit. The summit was attended among others by HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani. – QNA
via Gulf Times – Qatar’s top-selling English daily newspaper – First Page.