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Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani cautioned against the recent US-led strikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, stressing that diplomatic options should be opted rather than military resolution for diffusing the conflict in the Middle East, CNN reported.
Al Thani emphasised that these strikes could intensify divisions and escalate tensions in the region, particularly regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, Al Thani underscored the broader impact of regional tensions, stating that addressing the conflict in Gaza should be a primary focus for leaders. He advocated for diplomacy over military resolutions, suggesting that diffusing the situation in Gaza could contribute to easing other conflicts in the region. "We always prefer diplomacy over any military resolutions, and we believe that we shouldn't just focus on those small conflicts, we should focus on the main conflict in Gaza and as soon it's diffused, I believe that everything else will be diffused," the Qatari prime minister said at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Regarding the strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, Al Thani called its impact on the freedom of navigation "a global issue." He expressed concerns about the potential for escalation in the region, characterizing it as a "recipe of escalation everywhere." "What we have in the region is a recipe of escalation everywhere," he added. The Red Sea holds strategic importance for Qatar, a major exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The Houthis, an Iran-backed Shia political and military group, have been targeting commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea since November. In response to recent strikes by the US and UK against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, Al Thani noted the severity of the actions, marking a significant response from the Biden administration. The strikes were prompted by Houthi attacks on the Red Sea. The Houthis claim that their attacks are a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people and assert that they will continue until Israel allows the entry of food and medicine into Gaza. Some speculate that the strikes on Houthi targets aim to exert economic pressure on Israel's allies, encouraging them to influence a cessation of Israel's military offensive in Gaza. The conflict in Gaza has resulted in substantial casualties, with at least 24,100 Palestinians killed and another 60,834 injured, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza, as reported by CNN. (ANI)
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