HE the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh affirmed that the State of Qatar is an important and fundamental supporter of the Palestinian cause, politically, morally, and materially, pointing out that his visit to Doha came to request the continuation of Doha's honorable stances to complete Palestinian reconciliation and contribute to achieving positive results in this matter after it played an important role in stopping the recent aggression against the Palestinians in Jerusalem and Gaza.

In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), the Palestinian Prime Minister noted that there are understanding and harmony at the highest levels between the Qatari and Palestinian leaderships and there are mutual visits and constant communication between the two sides to coordinate in all international forums, in the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, as well as international affairs and the Arab League issues,. He stressed that the State of Qatar always stands with the Palestinian ranks and supports two major and sensitive issues, Jerusalem, which is an icon for the Palestinian people, and provides aid to the Palestinian people to strengthen their steadfastness.

He added that Qatar paid a great price for its stance against the Deal of the Century and for supporting the Palestinian Stance, pointing to the extent of the pressure that Qatar was subjected to for standing with the Palestinian issues against the annexation of Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley and the Deal of the Century. He pointed out that Qatar has provided the Gaza Strip in the past years with more than USD1.6 billion, in the form of development projects, buildings, infrastructure and cash, which enhances people's ability to adapt to the difficult situation they are living in due to the blockade.

HE Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh added that the State of Qatar has supported the Palestinians at the diplomatic, political, material, and moral levels on international, Arab, and national platforms, and contributed to the convergence of views to complete the Palestinian reconciliation. Qatar has played an important role in facilitating reaching an agreement on the Palestinian elections, that were to be held in May 2021, but Israel placed all obstacles in front of it to thwart the possibility of carrying it out, he added. He expressed surprise at those who claim that the aid provided to the Strip increases the Palestinian division, welcoming all forms of support for the Palestinian people wherever they are, adding that any support will alleviate suffering and injustice, create job opportunities, strengthen infrastructure, and help the poor.

Regarding the aims of the visit, HE the Palestinian Prime Minister explained that his visit to Doha at this time aims to extend thanks and gratitude to the State of Qatar and HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, for his political, moral, and material stance with the Palestinian people and their cause in general, and Jerusalem in particular, as well as informing the Qatari leadership of the results of the brutal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, as it played an important role in ending the aggression. Also, he is conveying a letter of thanks to HH the Amir from President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas that reflects his appreciation for these stances.

He stated that the visit also seeks to consulting with the Qatari leadership and exchanging views on how to fill the "political vacuum" in the Palestinian Cause, re-spin the political wheel, and transfer the current situation from "peace diplomacy" to a serious and real "peace process" based on international law and international legitimacy, in addition to informing the Qatari leadership of the reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip, strengthening bilateral relations between Qatar and Palestine, and consulting on the course of affairs in the region.

He underlined that the relations between Qatar and Palestine are historical and rooted, as the office of the Palestine Liberation Organization was opened in Doha in 1965, and when independence was declared in 1988, Qatar was one of the first countries to recognize Palestine, adding that the Palestinian community in Doha is old and enjoys full patronage, expressing hope that these relations continue to develop.

HE the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh added that the Palestinian Authority seeks to keep the glare of the Palestinian Cause at the highest level as what happened in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip pushed the Palestinian Cause to the top of the international priorities, therefore, there were contacts from the US President, visits by the American, British, and German foreign ministers, and multiple meetings with President Mahmoud Abbas.

Regarding the timing of the visit, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh clarified with QNA that the visit to the State of Qatar comes within several visits to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the State of Kuwait, and the Sultanate of Oman, to communicate and exchange views, especially after a new US administration and the ceasefire, which he seeks to be a permanent ceasefire.

He referred to the Egyptian call for a Palestinian-Palestinian dialogue next week, in which he said that they want this dialogue to bring about serious and real results, in addition to the existence of important changes in the region, national reconciliation with its brothers, and the return of Arab cohesion to serve the depth of the Palestinian cause, because the strength and momentum of the cause come from the Arabs and their one coherent position, just as there is a new government and Netanyahu is relieved, even though all Israeli governments are similar.

Regarding the Palestinian government's communication with the countries that recently normalized relations with the Israeli entity, the Palestinian PM revealed that the schedule of his visits does not include these countries. He explained that the problem with those countries is not only with Palestine, but is mainly with the Arab League and the Arab Peace Initiative because they violated the Arab Peace Initiative.

Regarding the possibility of achieving Palestinian reconciliation and the extent of willingness to make concessions to complete it, PM said that the success of national reconciliation depends on good intentions. If the intentions are true, the Prime Minister said that they are fine, and those in the Central Committee of the Fatah movement and the government want this reconciliation to take place because this rift cannot continue. There is no peace or constructive negotiation without unity politically, administratively, and financially, and the Palestinian situation cannot be in a normal state without unity, he added.

Palestinian PM said that their door is open for reconciliation because they are struggling with colonialism and colonial occupation, pointing out that the Israeli machine forces us to be in a state of unity, adding that what happened in Jerusalem and Gaza united the Palestinian people and made them rise in the face of the occupation, and President and the Central Committee want reconciliation to take place.

He added that the door is open for a new page to face the challenges they face, such as the Israeli occupation and its crimes in Jerusalem, the blockade of Gaza, the reconstruction, and other matters that need unity.

Prime Minister Shtayyeh also expressed his regret over the continuation of this dark chapter in the history of the Palestinian cause, which is the division that is painful for every Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim.

He reviewed the attempts to end the division that had all failed since 2007 in Cairo, then in Doha, Cairo, and the Al Shati Camp, stressing the readiness of the movement and all factions for Palestinian dialogue and agreement on a set of issues, the most important of which is the development of a struggling program to confront the occupation and political program, so there is no going to war or peace except together and united.

On the real reasons for postponing the Palestinian legislative elections, and whether there is hope for holding them soon, the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, explained to QNA that President Mahmoud Abbas announced the date of the elections to restore the democratic glow of the Palestinian institution and to make the elections an entry point to end the division and unite the people under the dome of parliament, pointing out that the Palestinian Authority provided everything needed by the electoral process. But, before the start of the election campaigns, Israel officially announced that it would not allow elections to take place in Jerusalem.

He indicated that what is known as the "deal of the century" is based on the annexation of Jerusalem to Israel, and if the Palestinian authorities agree to transfer the elections, that means agreeing to that deal, so the elections were postponed until the new Israeli government is formed and international and regional pressures are used to urge Israel to agree to the establishment of the elections, adding that if they refuse, the Palestinian authorities will try again and again to complete the electoral process, including the legislative and presidential elections, and to complete the formation of the Palestinian National Council (PNC).

The Palestinian Prime Minister also stressed that the elections represent an "existential issue" for the president, the government, and everyone. The democratic process makes everyone a decision-maker, stressing at the same time that President Abbas is determined to conduct the electoral process and the Fatah movement is not afraid of the results because the electoral system is based on full proportional representation and all factions will be represented and participate in decision-making.

Regarding the re-election of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, HE Mohammad Shtayyeh stated that Abbas decides it, noting that his health condition is very good and that his going to Germany was for routine periodic examinations that lasted only one day, and he insisted on conducting the electoral process because he wants to continue the institution has a democratic dimension.

On the position of the new US administration on the Palestinian issue, the Palestinian Prime Minister's State explained that it has shown good initiatives, it announced that it will open the US Consulate in Jerusalem, a very important political step and will refinance and support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as well as the Embassy of Palestine in Washington, ready to hear ideas on the political track, just as it stands against settlements and not with the annexation of Jerusalem and rejects the deal of the century and all this talk is very important, pointing out that it has already begun to implement these resolutions, it promised to give UNRWA USD150 million support the Palestinian Authority with USD150 projects and help hospitals in Jerusalem, but so far has no political initiatives.

He stated that as Arabs, they want to engage in a political path and not continue in the case of a monopoly on the peace process by one party (the US administration), and for there to be an international reference to the issue, especially since the American-Israeli relationship makes the US keen on Israel's interest without considering the suffering of the Palestinians, adding that President Abu Mazen presented an initiative at the UN in 2017, in which he called for an international conference in which the International Quartet and some Arab countries and countries of the world would participate, because the important thing is not to remain hostages of a political track that the United States monopolizes, but rather want the track to be broader and more comprehensive.

With regard to resorting to the International Criminal Court regarding the recent attack on Jerusalem and Gaza, the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh explained that 3 major international files were submitted to the International Criminal Court: the file of prisoners, the file of the aggression on Gaza in 2014 (the last aggression will be attached to the file of aggression) and the file the third is related to the illegal establishment of Jewish settlements on illegally confiscated lands, and illegal colonists live in them. He indicated that Israel tried to challenge Palestine's membership in the court, but it failed. It also denied the jurisdiction of the Palestinian authorities over the lands occupied in 1967, but the court confirmed Palestine's legal jurisdiction over its territory, including the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

In his last interview with QNA, Mohammad Shtayyeh revealed that some parties are seeking to slow down the investigation process in these files, but the authority is working hard to move these files, especially after Human Rights Watch condemned Israel for carrying out racist practices against the Palestinian people in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jerusalem and inside Israel, expressing his hope that this movement will be reflected on the court and its decisions, especially that the Palestinian people are suffering since the Balfour Declaration, but remained steadfast, and the international community no longer tolerated Israel as an aggressor country against this proud people. 

QNA