Turkey, Qatar slam international 'double standards' in Israel war on Gaza response

AFP , Wednesday 25 Oct 2023

The foreign ministers of Turkey and Qatar accused the international community of "double standards" Wednesday in its reaction to the escalating in Gaza war.

Hakan Fidan and Mohammed bin Abdulrahman
Combined images (from L to R) of The foreign minister of Turkey Hakan Fidan said and The foreign minister of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman.

 

Qatar's top diplomat Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said the two governments, both Western allies, "reaffirm our complete rejection of responding to the crisis with double standards when it comes to human life".

"It is not permissible to condemn the killing of civilians in one context and justify it in another." Al-Thani, who also serves as Qatar's prime minister, said.

Israel launched its assault on Gaza in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack by Hamas militants on October 7, that killed 1,400 people and took 222 captives, according to Israeli authorities.

The Palestinian health ministry says at least 6,500 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the war on Gaza so far, including more than 2,700 children, more than 1,500 women, 346 elderly, and more than 17,400 wounded.

Western governments, including Britain, France, and the United States, have offered their full support to Israel, asserting its right to defend itself following Hamas's deadly rampage.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said: "The failure of some American and northern European countries to condemn and prevent the destruction and disaster in Gaza constitutes a very serious double standard and plays a destabilizing role.

"The operation in Gaza should be stopped as soon as possible. Humanitarian corridors should be opened," he added.

Both Turkey and Qatar have been strong supporters of the Palestinian cause and have open channels of communication with Hamas, the Islamist rulers of Gaza.

The wealthy Gulf emirate, which hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East, also hosts Hamas's political office and is the main residence of the Islamists' self-exiled leader Ismail Haniyeh.

It has used its channels with Hamas, established with US blessing, to play a lead role in the release of four of the more than 200 captives held by the militant group in Gaza.

The Qatari minister said the only way to restore peace in and around Gaza was to keep channels of communication open.

He said Doha and Ankara would continue to coordinate with each other and regional partners to de-escalate the conflict.

He condemned the criticism of Qatar's position, saying that such comments "undermine existing efforts, risk lives, and cannot be understood except in the context of political blackmail".

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

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