'Claims That Qatar Is An Unfair Mediator Are Just Propaganda'
Date
1/26/2025 11:01:54 PM
(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said Sunday that the claim that Qatar is not a fair mediator in the war on the Gaza Strip is "incorrect and propaganda".
He said in an interview with Israel's channel 12 that "in order to return the detainees, the leaders must have the courage to end the war".
HE Sheikh Mohammed stressed that "more lives could have been saved if an agreement had been reached earlier", regarding stopping the 15-month war on the Gaza Strip, noting that the failure to reach an agreement was due to "political considerations".
"It is unfortunate that the agreement took time, despite our reaching its framework in December 2023," he said.
The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister pointed out that the course of the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza "was difficult and we sometimes felt disappointed... but we worked persistently despite the difficulties and succeeded in reaching a deal."
He also mentioned that Steven Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's envoy to the region, played an important role in reaching an agreement, noting that the US president's "persistence" helped in reaching a deal.
HE Sheikh Mohammed stressed that the second phase of the agreement could be concluded "if both parties", the Palestinians and the Israelis, are committed, and that the two-state solution is the only way to achieve peace.
He added that "the settlement in Gaza will be by agreement, and the Palestinians must manage their affairs." It is noteworthy that Qatar was a main mediator - along with Egypt and the US - in the negotiations that led to a ceasefire agreement in Gaza between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which officially began on January 19.
The agreement consists of 3 stages, each lasting 42 days, during which negotiations will begin to start a second and third stage under the auspices of mediators, leading to an end to the war on the Strip.
The agreement stipulates, in its first stage, which extends for 6 weeks, the release of 33 Israeli prisoners held in Gaza, in exchange for the Israeli side releasing 737 Palestinian prisoners.
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