Qatar PM Abdulrahman Al Thani says Gaza talks at critical stage

Doha (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated on Saturday that the negotiations about the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza are at their critical stage.

He stated during a panel at the Doha Forum conference in Qatar that mediators are collaborating to advance the next stage of the ceasefire, Al Jazeera reported.

The 23rd Doha Forum has begun in Qatar’s capital, attracting world leaders, top diplomats, and business executives.

The annual international dialogue platform features numerous speakers, including the presidents of Syria and Ghana, the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, the prime ministers of Qatar and Lebanon, and the Turkish foreign minister.

Are mediators nearing a breakthrough in the Gaza ceasefire?

At the Doha Forum, Al Thani highlighted that mediators, including his country, are striving to progress the ceasefire to the next stage. He emphasised that the process is only complete once Israel has completely withdrawn from the strip. 

He also mentioned that Qatar’s national security is deeply linked to the Middle East situation, explaining its strong focus on diplomacy.

“As a small nation, we cannot become a superpower by military,” 

Al Thani remarked.

“That’s why we have always strived to settle conflicts through mediation. And in this fragmented world today, it’s more and more needed – the role of small countries.”

Will addressing root causes advance lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace?

The Qatari prime minister also emphasised that sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians depends not only on stopping the violence in Gaza but also on tackling the “root” causes of the conflict.

“It is not only about Gaza. It’s about Gaza, it’s about the West Bank, it’s about the rights of the Palestinians for their state,”

said the prime minister. 

“We are hoping that we can work together with the US administration to achieve this vision at the end of the day.

“It’ s not easy, it will have a lot of challenges, it will face a lot of attacks, but we will keep pushing in order to find at the end of the day a long-lasting solution” that brings justice “for both people”, 

he added.

How did the EU’s Kaja Kallas praise Qatar at the Doha Forum?

Speaking at Doha Forum, Kaja Kallas, the European Commission’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, praised Qatar’s mediation efforts in Gaza, Afghanistan, and Sudan, among many other regions, as commendable.

“In this time, when we have more conflicts than ever before, over 60 wars are going on in the world, we need mediation on different levels, and Qatar here plays a very, very important role,” 

she said, turning to Qatar’s top delegate and saying thank you.

Kallas further said the United States remains Europe’s biggest ally.

“There’s a lot of criticism, but I think some of it is also true; if you look at Europe, it has been underestimating its own power towards Russia,” 

Kallas said.

“We should be more self-confident,” she said, adding that the “US is still our biggest ally”.

“I think we haven’t always seen eye to eye on different topics, but I think the overall principle is still there. We are the biggest allies and we should stick together,” 

Kallas also said.