Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said in a speech in Doha on Tuesday that what is happening in Gaza is unequivocally genocide and that those responsible must not escape accountability.
Al Thani made the remarks while opening the 55th annual session of the Shura Council, assessing the attacks in Gaza that have continued since October 2023.
Qatar’s priorities during the crisis
The emir said Qatar and the region were facing extraordinary developments. He said the resilience of state institutions, the cohesion of society and the capacity to respond to crises effectively and responsibly had once again been demonstrated during this period.
Al Thani said Qatar was shouldering three responsibilities at the same time: protecting the country’s sovereignty, maintaining its energy security and role in the global economy, and keeping diplomatic channels open.
State revenue down 42%
In the same speech, Sheikh Tamim also addressed the economic toll of the Iran war. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and some energy facilities at Ras Laffan directly damaged, a significant share of exports was disrupted, he said, announcing that total government revenue fell 42% in the first half of the year while public spending was cut by 14%. “We decided against curtailing essential services and chose not to alter development priorities,” he said.
Iranian strikes damaged two of the 14 LNG export trains at Ras Laffan, taking about 17% of Qatar’s export capacity, or 12.8 million tonnes a year, offline; QatarEnergy has said repairs could take three to five years. The emir said non-hydrocarbon sectors, which make up about 80% of the economy, continue to grow, and that around 221 billion riyals ($60.7 billion) in investments are planned over five years, adding that Qatar “will emerge from this crisis more resilient.”
Deaths and destruction in Gaza
The speech said more than 74,000 Palestinians had been killed and more than 175,000 injured in the attacks in Gaza. It said 90 percent of the infrastructure had been destroyed and that children and women made up the majority of those killed and injured.
International legal mechanisms
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
The International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ principal judicial organ, is considering a case brought by South Africa and joined by numerous countries accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Al Thani said Qatar would continue working with its brothers and international partners to ensure that the region remains safe and stable. He stressed that remaining committed to dialogue and peaceful solutions did not mean compromising on defending the country.
