Israeli genocide The conflict against the Palestinians in Gaza and its geopolitical ramifications across the Middle East and beyond dominated the meeting on the 17th. Al Jazeera Forum In Doha.

Senior politicians and officials warned on Saturday that the conflict was accelerating the collapse of international norms and reshaping the regional balance of power, but noted that it had pushed the Palestinian cause back to the center of global diplomacy.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has just stepped down Oman holds indirect talks with USdescribed the Palestinian issue as a core strategic issue shaping the future of the Middle East, and warned that Israel’s military operations in Gaza and regional posture were undermining the global legal order.

He said the Palestinian struggle was “the decisive issue of justice in West Asia and beyond” and “the strategic and moral compass of our region.”

Araghchi condemned the war: “What we are witnessing in Gaza is not just war… It is a massive and deliberate destruction of civilian life. This is genocide.” He added that the violence “hurt the conscience of humanity” and exposed the inability of global powers to prevent attacks against civilians.

Araghchi warned that the consequences extend far beyond the Palestinian territories. “We are not only witnessing the tragedy of Palestine, we are also witnessing the transformation of the world into a place where law is replaced by force,” he said, adding that attacks on civilians with impunity could lead to the normalization of military rule as a guiding principle in international relations.

He also described Israeli policies as part of a broader Israeli regional strategy, saying an “expansionist project” aimed at weakening neighbors and enforcing “perpetual inequality” across the region while allowing Israel to expand its arsenal without meaningful oversight.

Israel conducted Will hit six countries in 2025: Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Qatar and Iran. It has also carried out attacks on aid flotillas heading to Gaza in the territorial waters of Tunisia, Malta and Greece.

Iran’s top diplomat called for coordinated international action, urging governments to “impose comprehensive and targeted sanctions on Israel, including an immediate arms embargo,” while suspending military and intelligence cooperation and pursuing legal accountability for violations of international law.

He emphasized that the Palestinian issue is “not just a humanitarian issue… it is a strategic issue” and believed that regional stability depends on ending the occupation and establishing a system based on sovereignty and equality.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Arabic after the forum, Araghchi said that the two sides have agreed to hold a second round of talks, but the date has not yet been determined.

However, he said Tehran and Washington believed it must be held “as soon as possible”.

When asked about the possibility of war with the United States, he said that this possibility always exists, but Iran is ready for peace and war.

One of his critical remarks was a reassurance for the region. Araghchi said Tehran is telling Americans and countries in the region that if the United States launches an attack, Iran will only target U.S. troops stationed in the region, not the countries themselves.

“We don’t attack neighboring countries, we target U.S. bases in those countries. There’s a big difference.”

Israel seeks to ‘prevent establishment of Palestinian state’

In his opening speech, Sheikh Hamad bin Tamer bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Jazeera Media Network, said that the Israeli attack has become a turning point in the Palestinian issue and warned that the occupation seeks to permanently change the reality on the ground.

Speaking at the forum, he warned that “Israeli’s occupation seeks to reoccupy Gaza by expelling its people…to settle in parts of Gaza and…the West Bank in order to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state”.

He also emphasized reporter Covering the War, said Al Jazeera had “sacrificed… and paid a heavy price for its journalists,” noting that journalists “are targeted simply because they want to report the truth to the world.”

He said that despite the risks, the network remained committed to “reporting the truth to the world” and paid tribute to journalists who “deliver the ultimate price for the truth…”

Israel’s threat to the Red Sea

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also addressed the forum, warning of rising tensions in Israel’s Gaza war and the Red Sea, as well as a broader breakdown in the international system.

He said the Palestinian crisis represented “yet another inhumane engagement in world history” and warned that failure to reach a “fair… lasting solution based on a two-state solution” risked prolonging instability throughout the region and beyond.

Mahmoud placed the conflict within a broader geopolitical context, warning that the foundations of global governance were weakening.

“Key to global concern is the erosion of established rules based on the international order. This order is no longer intact,” he said, adding that institutions created after World War II were “under serious threat” as “might makes right” increasingly replaced observance of international law.

He also linked regional instability to tensions in the Red Sea, warning that interference “as in the case of Israel … with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia” threatened trade routes and African security.

Call on Israel to recognize Somaliland “This is reckless, fundamentally wrong and illegal under international law,” he said, adding that the move “undermines stability, security and trade, with repercussions across Africa, the Red Sea and the wider world.”

in exclusive Interview with Al Jazeera in JanuaryMohammed said the breakaway region of Somaliland had agreed to accept displaced Palestinians resettled there in exchange for recognition. Somaliland officials deny the accusations.

Mahmoud on Saturday urged governments and international institutions to “return to the path of common goals and agreed universal rules” to prevent the erosion of multilateral cooperation.

Historic global rupture

Turkey’s communications director Burhanedin Duran said Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza reflected deeper shifts in global politics, warning that the erosion of international institutions allowed atrocities to occur with limited accountability.

“The world is not just transforming, it has transformed. We are experiencing the consequences of a historic rupture,” he said.

Describing Gaza as the clearest manifestation of this collapse, Duran said: “Genocide, in the case of Israel’s genocide… has returned to the center of international politics, not as an exception but as a tolerable reality.” He added that institutions designed to prevent such crimes now “fail openly, repeatedly and structurally.”

Duran also warned that modern conflicts increasingly extend beyond the battlefield, noting that “war is no longer limited to physical battlefields” but is fought through narratives and digital platforms, shaping “what is visible, what is credible and what disappears”.

He believes that justice must become the organizing principle of the international system, emphasizing that “justice generates legitimacy” and that lasting stability cannot be achieved through power alone.

Outlining Turkey’s foreign policy, Duran said Ankara was pursuing a strategy of “regional ownership,” insisting that “regional problems require regional solutions” while emphasizing mediation and stabilization efforts in multiple conflict zones.

“In Gaza, this wave of insecurity is manifesting itself in its most visible form – massive destruction, severe trauma, genocide and humanitarian collapse,” he said, urging regional powers to prioritize ending the war and preventing the forced displacement of Palestinians.