Doha: Switzerland announced that it will host an international conference on the occupied Palestinian territories on March 7, with participation of numerous countries and signatories to the Fourth Geneva Convention.

According to Qatar News Agency, Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nicolas Bideau stated in a press release that Switzerland has invited 196 states party to the Geneva Conventions to take part in this week’s conference on the situation of Palestinians living in the occupied territories. He clarified that the conference will be held in Geneva at the request of the United Nations General Assembly, with the participation of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, as was the case in 1999, 2001, and 2014.

In September last year, UN General Assembly requested Switzerland to organize this conference while the Israeli occupation was continuing its devastating aggression on Gaza.

The Fourth Geneva Convention is part of a series of international treaties agreed upon in 1949 following World War II, aimed at ensuring humanitarian protection for civilians living in areas of armed conflict or under occupation.