Sunday 28 / April / 2024
Muscat: In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson, Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, said the world is "witnessing a deliberate policy of starvation and siege on the people of Gaza."
“I think enough is enough. And I will join Vice President Harris’ call for a ceasefire now,” Al-Busaidi told Anderson.
“The whole world has said, again and again, there is no other way to have sustainable peace in the long term, except the establishment of a two-state solution.”
For years, Oman has been a key driver of peace and stability in the region, and the Foreign Minister explained that he believes the United States can still be a broker of peace too.
Joining calls for a ceasefire, Sayyid Badr said: “President Biden has called the Israelis not to move onto Rafah. The whole world is calling Israelis not to move onto Rafah. I think enough is enough. And I will join Vice President Harris’ call for a ceasefire now. […] This has not been caused by a natural disaster or disease. This is the doing of the State of Israel in complete violation of international law.”
On whether Israel is weaponising aid and intentionally starving Gazans, specifically in the North, he said: “Yeah. I think that is what is happening. That is not only me saying that, but the whole international community and UN agencies are really witnessing a deliberate policy of starvation and siege on the people of Gaza.”
When asked on how much pressure America still can bring to bear on the Israelis, he said: “In the 1990s […], the United States convened an international conference that would eventually lead to a historic agreement between Israelis and the Palestinians. I think the United States has the capacity to do exactly the same nowadays.”
On whether the current Israeli government would agree to a potential peace conference, Sayyid Badr said: “The purpose of the congress will be to translate the will of the international community for a two-state solution into action. […] The whole world has said, again and again, there is no other way to have sustainable peace in the long term, except the establishment of a two-state solution.[…] I think wisdom should prevail. The common sense should prevail. For peace for everybody in the region. Not just between Israel and its immediate neighbours, but for the whole region.”
On the January indirect talks with Iranian officials in Oman amid rising tensions around the region, Sayyid Badr said: “I think engaging with all the regional countries is a very important element, a prerequisite for de-escalation and for bringing a common goal of peace for the whole world. This is why I also said that both Israel and Hamas should be part of the solution.”
On the Houthis’ claim that they will stop their havoc in the seas around the Gulf when there is a ceasefire in Gaza he added: “Yes, I believe there is a very strong connection in fact, it's the only connection between what's going on in the Red Sea and what's going on in Gaza. If we stop the war in Gaza, we will de-escalate tension everywhere.”
When asked whether the he supports the Iran-backed Houthi movement, he said: “We don't support violence. We don't support the disruption of people's lives everywhere. But we have to understand the causes and reasons and try to address them at the roots of the problem you know, to really have a sustainable solution.”
