Qatar has been playing a leading role to stop the war in the Gaza Strip where weeks of aerial bombing and ground campaign by Israeli military has killed more than 15,000 people, including at least 6,150 children and 4,000 women. Another 36,000 thousand, mostly women and children, are injured while 6,800 remain missing. Another 242 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7.
Under the leadership of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar has worked hard with other brotherly and friendly countries to achieve a humanitarian pause in the conflict, which has seen many hostages and prisoners reunited with their families on both sides. The truce has also facilitated the entry of much-needed humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, which had been under a complete siege since October 7.
H H the Amir has held talks with a number of GCC, Arab, Muslim, European and the US leaders for de-escalation and end to the conflict. The Amir received German President H E Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Doha yesterday. They discussed bilateral ties and the situation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinians territories. The Amir stressed the importance of reaching a permanent ceasefire, protecting civilians, delivering humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip, and finding solutions that guarantee the establishment of two states in accordance with international and UN resolutions.
Qatar has also been active on the humanitarian front, sending assistance for the people of Gaza. The State has so far dispatched 27 aircraft carrying 910 tonnes of aid including six ambulances. Qatar has also evacuated 20 Palestinians holding Qatar residence permits from the Gaza Strip and is working to evacuate more residency holders.
The current pause agreed between Israel and Hamas with the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the US will last until early Thursday. Qatar is making diplomatic efforts for extension in the pause, release of more civilians and delivery of humanitarian assistance.
In the initial four days of the truce, Hamas released 69 hostages while Israel released 150 Palestinians prisoners. On day five, Israel freed 30 Palestinian civilians while 10 hostages were released from Gaza. Given the destruction and suffering caused by the Israeli bombing campaign, it is essential that both sides agree to another extension and permanent ceasefire in the conflict. The international community must also play its role and ensure an end to the conflict. It is also time the world worked in earnest to find a permanent solution to the conflict with the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
