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²Ï²¹³Ù²¹°ùÌýhasÌýrenewed calls for Israel's nuclear facilities to be placed under international supervision, urging intensified efforts to bring them under the oversight of the UN's nuclear watchdog.

Speaking at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Jassim Yacoub al-Hammadi, Qatar's ambassador to Austria, called for Israel's facilities to be under the safeguards of the IAEA and for Israel to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a non-nuclear state.

Al-Hammadi stressed the importance of international institutions fulfilling their obligations under various UN resolutions and agreements, including the 1995 NPT Review Conference, which called on Israel to submit its nuclear facilities to IAEA oversight.

He also highlighted that Israel remains the only state in the Middle East which has not joined the NPT, while all other regional countries are signatories — a situation made more concerning by Israel's latest war on Gaza.

The Qatari ambassador called on Israel to let international organisations and aid agencies operate freely in Palestine, stressing the need to protect UN properties and vital infrastructure such as schools, medical facilities, transport systems, and water resources.

Al-Hammadi concluded by urging the international community to compel Israel to comply with international resolutions, recognise the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and take steps to restore security and stability in the region.

Qatar’s latest call echoes previous demands made during the 67th IAEA General Conference in September 2023, where it similarly urged for Israel’s nuclear programme to be placed under proper supervision.

Although Israel has never publicly admitted to possessing nuclear weapons, it is widely believed to have nearly 90 plutonium warheads, with enough material to produce 100-200 nuclear weapons, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in June 2024.

Criticism has also been levelled at Western nations for their silence on Israel’s suspected nuclear arsenal, despite taking aggressive stances on nuclear oversight in countries like Iran and North Korea.