occupied territories in South Lebanon, and the establishment of the independent Palestine state with Eastern Al-Quds as capital. The Council denounced the Israeli authorities insistence to continue building thousands of colonial residential units in Eastern Al-Quds and West Bank, isolating the holy city of Al-Quds from its Palestinian environment and continuing to demolish homes, attacking mosques and sweeping agricultural lands, as all these practices are considered null and void according to international relevant resolutions. The meeting also lauded the call of the Emir of Qatar at a conference on Defense of Al-Quds held in Doha on 26 February 2012 urging the Security Council to issue a decision to form a fact-finding committee on all illegal measures taken by Israel since 1967 in Al-Quds aiming at abolishing its Arab and Islamic identity, calling on the civil society organizations and the UNESCO to shoulder their responsibilities in this regard. The ministers also praised the arrangement reached between the leaders of the Palestinian factions in Doha on February 6, 2012 under the patronage of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, to end difference. The statement also lauded the recognition of some countries or their upgrading of representation degree of Palestine as well as those who supported UN General Assembly's resolutions on the right of self determination of the Palestinian people and their sovereignty on their natural resources. The statement praised the stances of the European union member countries who provided corporeal and moral support for reaching a fair and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause. The Ministerial Council reiterated its denunciation of the Israeli aggressive violations against the Palestinian people resulting in a number of killings and injuries of innocent people and urged the world community to coerce Israel to end siege on Gaza Strip and to open cross roads to and from the strip. --More
