Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed {that a} hostage deal was essential for a cease-fire, as they mentioned ongoing developments amid Israel’s indiscriminate assaults and blockade on the Gaza Strip.
“Both leaders affirmed that a hostage deal is central to establishing a prolonged humanitarian pause in the fighting and ensure additional life-saving humanitarian assistance reaches civilians in need throughout Gaza,” the White House mentioned in a press release.
Biden’s Middle East adviser Brett McGurk was in Doha this week having discussions about the potential of one other hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.
White House spokesperson John Kirby mentioned on Tuesday the U.S. would help an extended humanitarian pause in fight in Gaza to make sure hostages may very well be launched and support introduced in.
Biden additionally spoke with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Friday.
They mentioned intensifying efforts to additional improve the supply of life-saving humanitarian help into and all through Gaza and agreed to proceed their shut coordination on humanitarian help, the White House mentioned in a press release.
According to a press release by the Qatari royal court docket, cited by the Qatar News Agency (QNA), Sheikh Tamim acquired a cellphone name from Biden to debate the state of affairs within the Palestinian territories.
The American president thanked Sheikh Tamim for Qatar’s “diplomatic and humanitarian efforts and endeavors […] regarding the situation in Gaza.”
The assertion quoted Qatar’s Emir stressing the need to “keep the crossings open for the sustainable entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip in order to promote peace and stability in the Middle East region.”
“The two sides also discussed the Qatar-US strategic relations and means of boosting and developing them,” the assertion additionally mentioned.
Israel launched a lethal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border assault by Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at the least 26,083 Palestinians and injuring 64,487. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed within the Hamas assault.
The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s inhabitants internally displaced amid acute shortages of meals, clear water and medication, whereas 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been broken or destroyed, in line with the U.N.
Source: www.dailysabah.com