Palestine PM calls for ‘immediate’ humanitarian aid amid Israel’s atrocities

QATAR: Palestine Prime Minister (PM) Mohammad Shtayyeh has stressed the need for ‘immediate’ humanitarian assistance to people of Gaza Strip amid a rapidly escalating crisis as Israel continues its military campaign, ARY News reported on Sunday.

“The people of Gaza are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, which demands an urgent response from the Muslim world,” the prime minister said while talking exclusively to ARY News at the opening of the 21st edition of Doha Forum.

The latest session of the Doha Forum — themed “Building Shared Futures” — will debate contemporary challenges facing the world, focusing on the war in Gaza.

The Qatari emir attended the opening ceremony while the country’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, delivered a speech on the efforts seeking peace in Gaza and the way forward.

Qatar has emerged as the main international player to broker a temporary ceasefire that led to the exchange of prisoners and hostages between Israel and Hamas.

Speaking to ARY News, Palestinian PM Mohammad Shtayyeh said that Palestine conflict tops the world’s agenda today. “As long as Palestinians do not form a government of their own will, the agenda will remain at the top,” he added.

The premier also deplored Israel’s continued genocide of Palestinians, saying that the Jewish state wants to change the geography of the land and paralyze it.

Besides lauding the assistance by members of Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), Shtayyeh called for more and urgent aid to avert major humanitarian crisis. “Palestine also needs aid for basic necessities of life”, he added.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, on Oct 7.

Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel – a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into the country via land, sea, and air.

Hamas said the operation was in retaliation for the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

At least 18,000 Palestinians, including children and women, have been killed since October 7.