Qatar PM: Gaza situation far from full ceasefire

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, has emphasised that the situation in the Gaza Strip cannot yet be considered a complete ceasefire.

"We are at a critical stage right now; this is not the end. What we have achieved so far cannot be regarded as a complete ceasefire. A ceasefire is impossible without the full withdrawal of Israeli forces, the restoration of stability, and the free movement of people, which has not yet been achieved," Sheikh Mohammed said during his remarks at the Doha Forum.

According to the Qatari premier, Doha, Cairo, and Washington are working together to implement the second stage of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan. "And this second stage, from our perspective, will also be temporary, because if we are just trying to address what has happened over the last two years, this disaster, it will not be enough to resolve the [Palestinian-Israeli] conflict," he added.

Sheikh Mohammed highlighted that until recently, the United States held negotiations on Gaza exclusively with Israel, without engaging the Palestinian side. "But in recent months, they have begun interacting with both sides, which helped us achieve a breakthrough in negotiations and reach a ceasefire," he said.

On Friday, Saudi channel Al Arabiya reported, citing sources, that the parties involved in the Gaza conflict and mediators had agreed on initial steps to disarm Hamas, including the confiscation of the group’s heavy weapons. According to the sources, Hamas also assured the United States that it is ready to relinquish control of the enclave as part of the peace process.

Earlier, the US portal Axios reported that Trump plans to announce the launch of the second stage of the Gaza settlement by December 25. The second phase of the deal envisages the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the enclave, deployment of “international stabilisation forces,” and the establishment of administrative structures to manage Gaza, including a “Council of Peace.”

The first stage of Trump’s peace plan was agreed upon on October 9, when Israel and Hamas, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and Türkiye, reached a settlement. The ceasefire in Gaza came into effect on October 10, with Israeli forces withdrawing to the so-called “yellow line”, while retaining control over more than 50% of Gaza’s territory.

By Tamilla Hasanova