Vienna: The State of Qatar called for intensified international efforts to bring all Israeli nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and for Israel to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a non-nuclear state.
This came in a statement delivered by HE Qatar's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and International Organizations in Vienna, Jassim Yacoub Al Hammadi, before the session of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna, which addressed the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel's nuclear capabilities.
HE Al Hammadi underscored the need for the international community and its institutions to uphold their commitments under resolutions of the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, the IAEA, and the 1995 Review Conference of the NPT, which called on Israel to subject all its nuclear facilities to IAEA safeguards. He noted that some of these resolutions explicitly urged Israel to join the NPT as a non-nuclear state.
His Excellency pointed out that all Middle Eastern countries, except Israel, are parties to the NPT and have effective safeguard agreements with the Agency.
He further noted that Israel continues its aggressive policies, including increasing extremist calls for the forced displacement of the Palestinian people, intensifying military operations against cities and refugee camps in the West Bank, blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza, and maintaining restrictions on the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
HE Al Hammadi also stated that the State of Qatar submitted a written memorandum last week to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding a request for an advisory opinion based on the UN General Assembly resolution of December 19, 2024. The request seeks clarification on Israel's obligations concerning the activities of the United Nations, other international organizations, and third-party states.
His Excellency emphasized that Qatar's memorandum affirmed Israel's duty to allow the UN and other international organizations, particularly UNRWA and humanitarian agencies, to operate in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. The memorandum also called on Israel to respect and protect the property of the UN and other international organizations, including schools, medical facilities, transport infrastructure, and water resources, as well as their personnel.
Concluding, HE Al Hammadi stressed the urgency for the international community and its institutions to take decisive action to compel Israel to implement international resolutions, recognize the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state, restore security and stability in the Middle East, and avert further global risks.
