HH the Amir welcomed HE the US President and his accompanying delegation, expressing his pleasure at meeting the President during his stopover in Qatar…reports Asian Lite News
HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met Saturday with HE President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, at Al Udeid Air Base.
At the outset of the meeting, HH the Amir welcomed HE the US President and his accompanying delegation, expressing his pleasure at meeting the President during his stopover in Qatar, and reaffirming his enduring commitment to further advancing the bilateral relationship between the two friendly nations and elevating it to new heights, while wishing HE the President and his delegation a successful trip.
For his part, HE the US President expressed his thanks and gratitude for meeting HH the Amir, commending His Highness’s role and the State of Qatar’s supportive efforts toward peace and security in the region, as well as the strong bilateral relationship between Qatar and the United States, and expressing his aspiration to deepen cooperation across various fields.
During the meeting, both sides discussed avenues for strengthening strategic cooperation between the two countries across different areas of partnership, along with key regional and global issues, particularly the current developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, with a focus on supporting peace in the region and reinforcing the agreement to end the war in Gaza and ensure the implementation of all its provisions by the parties.
The meeting was attended by HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, HE the Chief of the Amiri Diwan Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Khulaifi, along with several senior officials.
On the US side, the meeting was attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a number of members of the official delegation accompanying HE the US President.
Land Grab
The National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements, part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), warned of Israeli plans to seize large areas of land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
In its weekly report, the bureau said Israeli authorities discussed building 248 settlement units in the West Bank last week and intend to proceed with six plans across four settlements. It also reported a seizure order for over 70 dunams (7 hectares) of land in Nablus, citing military and security purposes to create a buffer zone.
The bureau added that during the past week, settlers fenced off more than 4,000 dunams of privately owned, fertile agricultural land belonging to around 40 Palestinian families in the northern Jordan Valley.
The report also highlighted a surge in settler attacks on Palestinians and their property in the area, particularly during the olive harvest season, now in its third consecutive week.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said settlers carried out 71 attacks on 27 West Bank villages between Oct. 7-13, about half linked to the olive harvest. Palestinian sources reported that dozens of olive pickers were injured Saturday, suffering suffocation and burns in attacks involving both settlers and the Israeli army.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, settlers have carried out roughly 7,154 attacks on Palestinians and their property, resulting in 34 deaths in the West Bank, according to the PLO’s Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.
Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. The settlements it has built there, and its military occupation, are considered illegal under international law.
