Qatar PM: Gaza talks at critical moment, ceasefire not complete
Negotiations on consolidating the U.S.-backed truce in the war in Gaza are at a “critical” moment, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said on Saturday.
Mediators are working to force the next phase of ceasefire forward, the Qatari prime minister, whose country has been a key mediator in the war, said during a panel at the Doha Forum conference in Qatar.
“We are at a critical moment. It’s not yet there. So what we have just done is a pause,” al-Thani said.
“We cannot consider it yet a ceasefire. A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of the Israeli forces – (until) there is stability back in Gaza, people can go in and out – which is not the case today.”
This year’s Doha Forum is held under the theme “Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress”. About 6,000 people from more than 150 countries are expected to attend the event.
Earlier Saturday, the Zionist occupation launched a series of heavy airstrikes and conducted demolitions in several areas under its control across the Gaza Strip, marking new violations of the ceasefire agreement that entered its first phase on Oct. 10.
The occupation continues to hold control of the southern and eastern corridors of the Gaza Strip, along with large parts of the north, covering more than 50% of the enclave.
This comes as Zionist forces continue to violate the ceasefire, committing hundreds of breaches and causing the deaths of 366 Palestinians as of Thursday, according to official Gaza sources.
