Syria, Gaza to be high on agenda at 22nd Doha Forum

Israel's ongoing war on Gaza and the recent rebel offensive in Syria will be high on the agenda at the upcoming Doha Forum in Qatar on Saturday, which more than 4,500 participants from over 150 states will attend.

Seven heads of state, seven heads of government and 15 foreign ministers are due to be among the attendees at the 22nd edition of the forum, held this year under the title of "The Innovation Imperative".

"As the world faces unprecedented geopolitical, humanitarian and technological challenges, the Doha Forum remains committed to promoting actionable solutions through dialogue, and this year’s discussions aim to inspire innovative thinking and foster global cooperation for a safer and more just world," said Mubarak Ajlan Al-Kuwari, Executive Director of the Doha Forum, in a statement.

The timing of the forum comes after 14 months of Israeli war on Gaza, where at least 44,580 Palestinians have been killed and over 100,000 wounded since October 2023.

Israel is facing a case at the International Court of Justice, accused of committing genocide against Palestinians, with rights group Amnesty International concluding this week that it agreed with the charge.

The International Criminal Court has also issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The forum will hold a session on strengthening humanitarian law and accountability, exploring the legal and ethical frameworks for addressing global conflict, including in Gaza.

A session held in partnership with the International Crisis Group will examine ways to revive peace processes, while a session on Arab public opinion and the Gaza war will be held in partnership with the Middle East Council on Global Affairs.

Recent events in Syria will also be discussed, with the foreign ministers of Iran, Turkey and Russia to meet on the sidelines of the event, according to officials cited by Turkish media.

In the space of just over a week Syrian rebels, led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, have swept through regime-held areas, taking the key cities of Aleppo and Hama in quick succession.

Iran and Russia have been key backers of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey has provided support to Syrian rebels.

Forum host Qatar has long been critical of the Syrian regime, and has played a key role in mediation efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Qatar established the Doha forum in 2000 as a platform to discuss key global challenges and exchange ideas on policy making. Last year, the forum was held in the first few months of Israel's onslaught on Gaza, which has continued for over a year.