Doha: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari affirmed that the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt have been engaged since the first day of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in serious mediation to end the aggression, based on the presumed seriousness of the parties to reach an agreement.
According to Qatar News Agency, Dr. Al Ansari stated during the weekly media briefing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) had previously announced its approval of the new ceasefire proposal, which largely aligns with previous Israeli demands. He emphasized that Israel has not yet provided any official response to the mediators' proposal, urging international parties to exert pressure on Israel to respond, as the ball is now in the Israeli court. Qatar is still waiting for an official response and has requested that Israel clarify its reservations about the proposed text.
Dr. Al Ansari highlighted that Qatar and Egypt are focused on achieving a ceasefire rather than the location of negotiations, dismissing circulated statements about changing negotiation venues as political maneuvering. He emphasized the importance of an Israeli response to the proposal, noting that ten days have passed since Hamas approved the proposal without a response from Israel. The mediators remain in continuous contact with the United States and other concerned parties to advance the negotiation process.
The spokesperson also addressed the issue of targeting journalists in Gaza, condemning attacks on more than one hundred journalists as an attempt to obscure facts. He called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop targeting journalists, ambulance crews, and civilians, stressing that such actions are attempts to hide facts or cover up crimes.
Dr. Al Ansari also mentioned Qatar's ongoing mediation efforts in regional and international issues, including supporting the peace process in the Republic of the Congo. He expressed gratitude to all involved parties and reaffirmed Qatar's commitment to reaching an agreement.
During the briefing, Dr. Al Ansari reviewed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' recent activities. These included meetings between HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani and international counterparts, as well as Qatar's participation in the Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC to discuss the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.
Additionally, Dr. Al Ansari announced the success of Qatar's mediation in reuniting children with their families in Russia and Ukraine, bringing the total number of reunited children to 107 since the beginning of the mediation efforts.