Monday, 5 January 2009
* Qatar, one of the US Arab allies, said on Sunday Israel's attack on Gaza amounted to a war crime. Qatar hosts the U.S. military's Central Command.
5 January 2009
Qatar's ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani said in comments aired on Al Jazeera television accused Israel of commiting war crimes in gaza. "Our (Arab) people in Gaza are subject these days to an unjust aggression which does not differentiate between children, women and old people, and between civilians and fighters," he added.
Sheikh Hamad further continued:
"A war launched with such tools (modern weapons) at such targets (refugee camps) cannot be anything other than a war crime. Moves by the Arab public opinion and world peace forces have shown what the peoples expect from us. We believe we can achieve something (at a summit) ... and that we can take measures to influence the international arena and Israel".
Sheikh Hamad also said that calling on Israel and the Palestinians equally to end the violence was equivalent to "putting the henchman and the victim on an equal footing".
