It was emphasized by Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, today, Wednesday, to the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the necessity of finding a fair and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue. He also stressed the importance of continued aid to enter the Gaza Strip.
According to a statement from the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Qatari Prime Minister discussed with Sullivan ways to de-escalate the situation in the Gaza Strip during their meeting in the U.S. capital, Washington. The statement indicated that the two parties reviewed the strategic relations between Qatar and the United States during the meeting and ways to enhance and develop them. They also discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.
During the meeting, the Qatari Prime Minister emphasized the necessity of finding a fair and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue and ensuring the continued entry of aid into the Gaza Strip. The meeting also addressed the latest developments in the region and ways to de-escalate the situation.
In a separate interview with the American news network Fox News on Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani confirmed that Qatar is seeking a peaceful solution to the escalating tension in the Middle East. The Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister stated, “We need time to work on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli detainees in Gaza,” and emphasized that “military solutions will not achieve the result we want.”
He also stressed the need to focus on ending the war and returning the detainees to their families, and clarified that the number of detainees to be released has not been determined yet.
Negotiation Progress
The Qatari Prime Minister stated yesterday, Tuesday, that there is progress in the negotiations to reach a deal for the exchange of prisoners between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel, and emphasized that this is the only opportunity available to calm the situation in Gaza.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani made these remarks in Washington: “I can say at the present time that the progress we have made in the past two weeks puts us in a better position than we were weeks ago.”
He pointed out that the breakdown of negotiations that led to a prisoner exchange deal and a temporary truce in November last year, followed by an escalation in the war, has made the situation more complicated.
He reminded that Qatar does not have authority over any party regarding the ongoing negotiations for a hostage exchange deal, and emphasized that Qatar is making every effort to reach a solution that will end the war and enable the release of prisoners and detainees.