Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani emphasized the need for a ceasefire in Gaza in a call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday, the country’s state news agency said.
The prime minister reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment, alongside its mediation partners, to ongoing efforts aimed at restoring calm to the region. Last month, Qatar brokered a deal between Israel, Hamas and Egypt, in coordination with the United States, to release foreign nationals and critically injured Palestinian civilians from Gaza to Egypt, according to sources familiar with the talks.
On Sunday, the prime minister expressed concern that the continuation of bombings in the Gaza Strip after that humanitarian pause complicates mediation endeavors and worsens the humanitarian crisis.
Al-Thani conveyed Qatar’s unwavering condemnation of all forms of targeting civilians, particularly women and children, emphasizing that actions such as these, including the policy of collective punishment, are unacceptable under any circumstances.
According to the statement, the prime minister underscored the urgent requirement for opening humanitarian corridors to ensure the safe passage of relief and aid to Palestinians affected by the ongoing conflict.