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In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

May peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you

I am pleased to welcome my colleague, His Excellency Dr. Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of the friendly Kingdom of Spain, to Doha.

Our meeting today posed a good opportunity to discuss topics of common interest, the most notable of which are:

• Ways to strengthen bilateral relations between our two friendly countries
• The latest developments in the regional and international arenas, particularly the raging war on the Gaza Strip and the situation in the brotherly Republic of Sudan.

Qatari-Spanish relations have witnessed significant developments in various fields since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries in 1972.

Over the course of half a century, our relations have witnessed important developments in various political, economic and investment fields, particularly in the energy and trade sectors.

Today, this relationship has culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding to establish the first strategic dialogue between the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Spain. We look forward to a constructive collaboration between our two countries for the good and benefit of our two friendly peoples.

Today’s discussions also dealt with the latest developments of the raging war on the Gaza Strip, especially the unfortunate expansion of the cycle of violence to the entire occupied Palestinian territories, and to other countries in the region. One particular example is the attack that targeted the Iranian Consulate in the Syrian capital, Damascus, which led to deaths and injuries in a flagrant violation of international agreements and conventions and diplomatic norms that criminalize attacks on the premises of diplomatic missions.

We reiterate here Qatar’s firm position on rejecting violence and terrorism, regardless of the motives and reasons. We also express the condolences of the State of Qatar to the families of the victims, to the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we wish the injured a speedy recovery.

In a related context, we discussed the Israeli airstrike that led to the death of a number of workers from "World Central Kitchen", bringing the number of relief workers killed during the war to 196. We have stressed Qatar's complete rejection of the use food as a weapon against civilians. Such targeting is undoubtedly a shocking crime and a violation of international laws and humanitarian norms.

Today we have the right to ask: Until when will the international community continue to watch this ongoing escalation and its expansion to the countries of the region - which has been inflicted by prolonged conflicts - without holding those responsible accountable?

From this platform, we reiterate Qatar's call to the international community to ensure accountability and non-impunity for all crimes committed during this war, especially those committed against civilians and workers of charitable and international relief organizations.

As for the progress of the negotiations, I assured my colleague Dr. Sanchez of the States of Qatar continued mediation in cooperation with partners to achieve an immediate ceasefire, resume the exchange of detainees and prisoners between the parties, as well as accelerating the pace of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

We discussed means of cooperation between our two countries to reach a just, lasting and sustainable solution to the Palestinian issue. We also stressed Qatar's position that security and stability in the region will only be achieved through a peaceful, just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, which entails the establishment of an independent Palestinian State on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

In this context, I would like to seize this opportunity to commend the Spanish government's anti-war position, in particular the government's emphasis on the importance of respecting international law and its intention to recognize an independent Palestinian state by July of this year.

I particularly commend the important statements made by His Majesty King Felipe VI in support of the Palestinian rights and the efforts of His Excellency Dr. Sanchez to put an end to the violence in Gaza.

I would also like to express here, not only on behalf of the State of Qatar, but also on behalf of all the Arab peoples in the region, our appreciation and gratitude for the principled Spanish position. Unfortunately, we have begun to see that there is also a division in terms of principles and double standards depending on the location of the crisis.

I also commend the Kingdom of Spain's continuous efforts to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip and its continued support for UNRWA, which plays a vital role in providing relief to millions of Palestinian refugees.

The war in the Gaza Strip has created a tragic humanitarian reality. To date, it has claimed the lives of more than 32,000 people in Gaza, leaving over 75,000 wounded and injured, mostly women and children.

In recent hours, we have seen shocking and horrific images showing the extent of destruction left by the Israeli army after storming the Al-Shifa Medical Complex in the Gaza Strip, including the destruction and burning of all the buildings of the Complex rendering it out of service. In addition, thousands of houses and residential buildings in the vicinity of the hospital were burned and destroyed, not to mention hundreds of martyrs, the wounded, the detained and those who went missing.

Therefore, we call on the international community to shoulder its responsibility in imposing an immediate ceasefire. The humanitarian reality in the Gaza Strip, including the threat to the lives of civilians, requires the international community to stand firm for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and prevent the products of this war from spreading to the region.

I would also like to express our welcome of the International Court of Justice ordering Israel to take all necessary and effective measures to ensure the entry of basic food supplies to the people of Gaza without delay. We also welcome the Security Council's resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip during the holy month of Ramadan.

We welcome this resolution and any diplomatic initiative that puts an end to this conflict and helps in the negotiation process between the two parties. We hope that these decisions will represent a step towards a permanent ceasefire, especially in light of the catastrophic humanitarian conditions that civilians are suffering from.

Based on our humanitarian responsibility towards the brotherly Palestinian people, we stress the continuation of Qatari efforts in the field of evacuating the sick and injured from Gaza Strip and providing relief assistance to the residents of the Strip.

89 Qatari military aircrafts were sent with more than 2,680 tons of aid, including shelter and food supplies, medical supplies, field hospitals and ambulances.

More than 1,500 Palestinians were evacuated from Gaza Strip.

Distinguished attendees, I would like to seize this opportunity to express Qatar’s full commitment to keeping these humanitarian bridges open to provide relief to our brothers in Palestine, to all other countries in the region, and to other peoples long stressed and torn by conflicts.

We firmly believe that security and stability are crucial for achieving sustainable development, and therefore we will spare no effort in providing relief and the necessary development assistance needed to alleviate the suffering of brotherly peoples and to promote social and economic development, which would achieve security and stability.

In conclusion, once again, I would like to welcome you, Your Excellency Dr. Sanchez to Doha. I look forward to achieving what was discussed today, for the benefit of the region and the peoples of our two friendly countries.

Thank you