Bahrain Crown Prince sets out red lines in Gaza conflict

Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister addressing the conference

MANAMA: Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa has reiterated Bahrain’s condemnation of Hamas’ 7 October attacks and of Israel’s retaliation, which has resulted in the death of 11,000 Gazans and left many more living in an intolerable situation without access to basic necessities such as electricity, running water, and medical care.

Addressing the 19th edition of the Manama Dialogue, an international security and defence conference, set out the conditions necessary for ‘breaking the cycle of violence.

Such a feat will be made possible only through the release of innocents and non-combatants, a pre-requisite to a pause in hostilities, he said.

Prince Salman called for the rule of international law to be fully implemented to ensure that the Gazan people have access to humanitarian aid.

He also emphasized that lasting peace will be secured only through a two-state solution that enshrines the rights of the Palestinian people.

The Crown Prince said that this process requires international leadership, and that the United States is indispensable in this regard.

“Let me be extremely clear on what matters to the Kingdom of Bahrain. There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, now or ever. There must be no reoccupation of Gaza,” he said.
“There must be no reduction in Gaza’s territory. And on the other side, there must be no terrorism directed from Gaza against the Israeli public. Those are the red lines.”

In the aftermath of conflict, elections must be delivered to offer the Palestinian people a strong and unified leadership, he added.

This process must be led by an interlocutor and partner who can broker an end to violence and deliver the prospect of a viable and independent Palestinian state that will also guarantee security and stability for its neighbor, Israel.

Prince Salman said that military conflict must not be the final arbiter.
Diplomacy and the rule of international law must be the principal mechanisms for conflict resolution, and if the world does not work across all political lines to make sure that the voice of reason is heard, it risks creating conditions for acts of violence to spread globally, he warned.

Held annually since 2004 in Bahrain, the Manama Dialogue is seen as a central element of the Middle East’s security architecture. It brings together national leaders, ministers and policymakers from the Middle East, North America, Europe, Africa and Asia to to discuss the most pressing regional security issues and to share policy responses.

Salman bun Hamad Al Khalifa was sworn in as Crown Prince in March 1999.