“Violence is not the answer” says Oman's Foreign Minister

Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi has spoken out on the situation in Gaza.

In a lengthy interview with the official Oman News Agency, the head of the Foreign Ministry of the Sultanate of Oman, known for its commitment to international law and dialogue as the solution to conflict says: “Violence is not a solution.”

“If we seek a final and just solution, it cannot be achieved militarily, but only through peaceful means. The only possible sustainable solution lies in a political solution, dialogue and a strong commitment to achieving peace,” he adds.

The Minister adds that to secure peace, an effective and credible peace process involving all parties without exclusion will be needed.

Condemning what he calls “Israel’s inhumane actions” Sayyid Badr says: “We must continue to exert political, diplomatic and legal pressure and employ the voice of truth, the language of reason and the power of logic in the face of Israel's oppressive aggression, which includes killing innocent civilians, destroying their infrastructure and depriving them of water, food, fuel and medicine.”

“All countries have the right to self-defence. However, Israel's response is excessively disproportionate, particularly in targeting civilians. It should not be forgotten that the Palestinian people also have the right to self-defence,” he adds.

Sayyid Badr notes that the forced displacement of civilians in the northern Gaza Strip and pushing them to move southwards should be considered a precursor to genocide, according to Article II of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

“History has taught us that “self-defence” cannot justify genocide, collective punishment and the targeting of innocent civilians. Moreover, blocking humanitarian aid to the population is a crime under international law,” he says.

Calling for an immediate ceasefire and a plan to provide direct and immediate humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, Sayyid Badr says the world needs to address the root causes that have led to this crisis.

He says these include Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territories in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip since 1967, the systematic expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank and the placing of Gaza under effective siege since 2007.

“The Israeli coalition government formed in 2022 has escalated this injustice and darkness. We witness how the leaders of this Israeli government promote policies that target Palestinian populations more aggressively and cruelly than ever before,” he adds.

Looking to the future, Sayyid Badr says that to secure peace an effective and credible peace process involving all parties without exclusion will be needed.

Recalling the lessons of history, the Foreign Minister says that in the 1990s Israel accepted the idea of engaging in dialogue with the Palestine Liberation Organisation, after initially refusing to negotiate with it due to its classification as a terrorist organisation.

“Today, we say that Israel and its allies must face the reality that, without engaging in dialogue with all parties, including Hamas, there cannot be a genuine Palestinian-Israeli peace.”

To read the full text of Sayyid Badr Albusaidi’s interview with the Oman news Agency please click here.

This is an unofficial English version of an Arabic report. To view the official Arabic text, click here.