Doha: Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari called on the international community to pressure the Israeli and Palestinian sides to accept US President Joe Biden’s internationally-backed proposal to end the war in the Gaza Strip, and reach a prisoner exchange deal between the two sides.
Delivering the MOFA’s weekly media briefing, Dr. Al Ansari said that military solutions do not lead to results, stressing the need for both parties to negotiate, and for an urgent humanitarian aid access.
He added that the Qatar-Egypt-US sponsored negotiations round between Hamas and the Israeli occupation forces is closely linked to the principles set by President Biden in his last speech. He added that both sides now have clear ideas on the table to negotiate.
He added that an Israeli proposal reflecting the principles as stated by President Biden was conveyed to Hamas, and the paper now includes positions closer than before to the positions of the two sides. He n
oted that all sides were doing their best to put the final touches to reach an agreement.
He added that the State of Qatar had been pressing on unwavering contacts with all parties since the beginning of this round of negotiations. Yet, he said it was difficult to put a time frame for these negotiations, because they are linked to many on-the-ground situations , and that what can be done is to always emphasize and focus on the need to reach an immediate ceasefire deal.
The issue now is related to the existence of clear positions from both parties on President Biden’s principles and the ideas on the table, he added.
To date, the Israeli aggression has left over 36,000 martyrs in the Gaza Strip and over 82,000 wounded, while over one million displaced Palestinians are struggling a new displacement wave as they are directly targeted, Dr. Al Ansari added.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced that it is unable to provide its aid, after being suspe
nded at the Rafah crossing by the occupation. Dr. Al Ansari stressed that an humanitarian aid delivery should not be linked to any political reason.
Commenting on the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip, he said it is worsening every day and has not reached an end – a fact that must provide a sufficient reason for the international community and the two conflicting parties to realize that reaching an agreement is no longer linked to narrow political calculations, but to this catastrophic humanitarian situation in the enclave, the worsening security and political repercussions in Israel, the attacks in northern Israel, and the confrontations in northern and central Gaza, which cast their shadows on the situation on the ground.
Dr. Al Ansari said the ongoing almost permanent negotiations are held in Cairo and Doha, or via means of communication, until both parties reach a language of agreement to move to direct meetings at the highest levels.
Since the first day of this mediation and all the mediations i
t has undertaken, the State of Qatar has been engaged in a positive and sincere manner with the aim of reaching an end to human suffering and an end to the crisis, he added.
When Qatar announced earlier it was re-evaluating its role as a mediator, it was primarily linked to the seriousness of the parties in reaching a solution to this crisis and the effectiveness of the Qatari role, he added, noting Qatars ongoing commitment to mediation efforts as long as there is a possibility to end the crisis and suffering of civilians, return Palestinians to their homes, reconstruct Gaza and achieve the demands of the Palestinian people.
Meanwhile, Dr. Al Ansari highlighted the MOFA’s efforts including hosting the meeting of the 160th Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Sunday, under the chairmanship of HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. On the sidelines of this meeting and within the framework of the State of Qatars presidency
of the current session, two joint ministerial meetings will be held between the GCC and the sisterly Republic of Yemen and the sisterly Republic of Turkiye respectively.
He also spoke about the Qatar-Egypt-US joint statement following President Biden outlined the basic principles for reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, and about the virtual meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and the Arab Republic of Egypt to discuss developments in the mediation efforts led by the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the United States of America.
He also highlighted HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani’s contacts with HE Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ali Bagheri Kani, HE US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and HE Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the Un
ited Kingdom David Cameron.
Besides, he spoke about the political consultation round of between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkmenistan, the MOFA’s engagement in the Syria donors conference in Brussels and the State of Qatar’s pledge of USD 75 million in support of humanitarian efforts for the brotherly Syrian people, and in the 10th China-Arab Cooperation Forum and holding a number of meetings with participating ministers and officials.
Source: Qatar News Agency