UN chief, Qatari PM call for de-escalation in Middle East

On August 18, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani emphasized the urgent need for de-escalation in the Middle East, according to a statement by Qatari Foreign Ministry.

During a phone conversation, Guterres and Sheikh Mohammed focused on the situation in the Gaza Strip, particularly joint mediation efforts aimed at ending the ongoing conflict. Guterres praised Qatar's continuous efforts to find a just, comprehensive, and sustainable resolution to the Palestine issue, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Earlier mediation by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt led to a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas, which concluded in late November 2023. Despite these efforts, recent mediation attempts have faced challenges.

A new round of ceasefire negotiations took place in Doha on August 15-16. The three mediators issued a joint statement noting "constructive" progress and promising continued efforts to finalize the details of the deal's implementation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office expressed appreciation for the mediators' work and hoped it would persuade Hamas to accept a proposal made in late May.

Hamas, which did not participate directly in the latest talks, accused Israel of adding new conditions to the proposal and criticized the US administration for creating a "false positive atmosphere," expressing doubts about the negotiations' success.