Qatar’s Prime Minister has called for urgent progress towards the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal to end Israel’s war on the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani made the appeal following talks with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington.
The discussions at the seventh US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue came as the fragile truce continues to fray amid a deepening humanitarian emergency across Gaza.
He stressed that “delays and ceasefire violations endanger the entire process and place mediators in a difficult position.”
The second phase of the US-backed ceasefire envisions Hamas disarming while Israeli forces withdraw and an international force deploys, both issues which have proved thornier than the first phase, which was mainly limited to an exchange of prisoners and captives.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu said last Saturday that Israel was “nearing the end of the first phase” of the ceasefire agreement and was working intensively to secure the return of Master Sergeant Ran Gvili’s remains, the last deceased captive held in Gaza. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners’ bodies have been returned by Israel, many showing signs of torture, mutilation and execution.
The Qatari Premier, whose country has played a critical mediating role, stressed that humanitarian aid must reach Gaza “unconditionally” and that the second phase of the agreement must begin immediately. He also expressed hope for all parties to move to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement to end the war.
Additionally, he warned that daily Israeli breaches of the Gaza ceasefire are threatening the entire agreement.
According to a news agency’s tracking of the violations, Israel has violated the agreement at least 738 times since the ceasefire took effect on October 10,killing at least 394 Palestinians and wounding another 1,075.
The ceasefire violations reached a critical point over the weekend when Israel assassinated senior Hamas Commander Raed Saad in Gaza City.
Hamas’s Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya said on Sunday that continued Israeli violations “threaten the viability of the agreement” and urged US President, Donald Trump to compel Israel to honour its commitments.
Netanyahu, however, defended the killing of Saad, accusing Hamas of violating the peace plan by attempting to rearm.
Trump told reporters that his administration was “looking into” whether the strike breached the truce, while American officials told a US outlet that the White House had sent a sharp rebuke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning him not to “ruin President Trump’s reputation after he brokered the deal.”
Stabilisation Force In Gaza Discussed
Discussions also focused on forming an international stabilisation force (ISF), expected to include Indonesian and Turkish troops, though Israel has baulked at Turkiye’s involvement, and on Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis, with Qatar urging Washington to press Israel to allow more aid through.
He reiterated that any stabilisation force in Gaza must protect the agreement itself and not favor one party over another and said this must be accompanied by the swift formation of a Palestinian civil administration.
The humanitarian situation has become desperate as winter storms pummel the territory, as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians huddle in flimsy makeshift tents or unsafe, bombed-out buildings.This has been compounded by Israel’s refusal to allow vital supplies, including mobile homes, into Gaza.
Aid delivery remains severely restricted, with only 39 percent of allocated trucks reaching their destinations inside the enclave, according to its Government Media Office. Israel has blocked nutritious foods while permitting non-essential items to enter.
The United Nations reports that roughly 30,000 children have been affected by storm damage to their shelters, while Israel continues blocking essential winter supplies, including tents and blankets, from entering Gaza.
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