The State of Qatar has warned from the day one of the Israeli war on Gaza that the conflict in the Palestinian territory threatens entire region’s security and stability, and there is risk of spillover of hostilities into other parts of the region. Four months on, Israel’s brutal war on Gaza is far from over, and it has led to strikes and counter-strikes in various parts of the region.
The Houthi movement in Yemen has hit Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea, demanding an end to killing of Palestinians, and the US and the UK have launched counter-strikes inside Yemen.
The US has also launched strikes against groups in Iraq and Syria, while more than 200 have been killed in clashes between Israeli military and Lebanese group Hizbullah along the Israel-Lebanon border. Raising escalation, Israel has also launched attacks inside Syria and Lebanon.
Led by Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar has been working round the clock to help broker a ceasefire in Gaza, as it rightly maintains that stopping the war on Gaza is must to address and put an end to tensions in the region. Meeting US Secretary of State H E Antony Blinken this week, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani stressed that the military option will not resolve the region’s crises, and underscored the significance of addressing the root causes of regional tensions, primarily the main issue which is the Palestinian cause and depriving the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights.
He said the expansion of the violence cycle in the region that already faces relentless and chronic crises and conflict makes the situation more complex and endangers the existing negotiations aimed at reaching a truce in the Gaza Strip.
Qatar has been working along with the US and Egypt to help broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as well as release of hostages and detainees and increased delivery of humanitarian aid to more than two million residents of Gaza who are facing catastrophic conditions in the territory.
Despite the challenges to ceasefire efforts, Qatar has not given up its efforts for truce leadinh to a permanent and sustainable peace in the Palestinians territories. The ceasefire efforts have made some progress in recent weeks, and the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said that Qatar has received a positive response from Hamas regarding the general framework of the agreement with regard to hostages.
