DOHA: Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari affirmed Qatar's continuous efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip and release the hostages, stressing that the humanitarian efforts are the priority in the ongoing negotiations on a new deal.
At the weekly press briefing, Dr Al Ansari said thatQatar continues its efforts with all the parties despite the recent Israeli statements. He indicated that those statements come in the context of personal and political gain to address internal crises that have nothing to do with the release of hostages or ending the tragedy that the Gaza Strip is witnessing.
He added that Qatar observes with great concern the reality of the Palestinian brethren in the northern Gaza Strip, especially in light of the lack of water, food, electricity, and medicine. He noted Qatar's ongoing demands for the necessity of bringing humanitarian aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip in light of the unprecedented deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
The Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that the situation in Rafah is very worrying, especially with the presence of around 1.5 million people there, stressing Qatar's rejection of any military attack on Rafah, as it will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis, especially in light of the lack of a safe place in the Strip.
Dr Al Ansari noted the participation of Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in the Munich Security Conference from Feb 16-18. He pointed out that His Excellency met with HM King Abdullah II bin Al Husain of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait Abdullah Al Yahya, Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina Wazed, Executive Director of the World Food Programme Cindy McCain, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Nechervan Barzani, and Special Representative of the European Union (EU) for the Gulf Luigi Di Maio on the sidelines of the conference.
Also on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sisterly Sultanate of Oman Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Melanie Joly, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria Mariya Gabriel, E Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, Leader of the United Kingdom Labor Party Keir Starmer, and President of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Friedrich Merz.
The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted the participation of the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in a discussion session at the Munich Security Conference, where His Excellency affirmed that the past three weeks have witnessed progress in the negotiations between the two parties (Israel and Hamas), yet the last few days have not been progressing as expected, due to the differences between the two parties.
He indicated that His Excellency underscored that the crucial aspects under discussion are the difficult humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, the issue of the number of Palestinian detainees, and other issues. His Excellency also pointed out that double standards in global conflicts have always harmed such conflicts, comparing the international response to the war in Ukraine and the situation in Gaza.
Dr Al Ansari noted the meeting of Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Monday in Doha with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi and Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres. During the meetings, His Excellency stressed the necessity to work toward solving the crisis and the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
In a separate context, Dr Al Ansarihighlighted Qatar's success in mediating the reunion of a new group of Ukrainian children with their families, as part of its ongoing efforts to reunite families separated due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
During the weekly media briefing, Dr Al Ansari said that Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater, clarified in this context that the Embassy of Qatar in Moscow hosted 11 children and their families during the reunion, accompanying them to their final destinations to ensure their safety and well-being. She mentioned that the group included children with disabilities, for whom special medical care was provided in coordination with both the Ukrainian and Russian sides.
Dr Al Ansari further emphasized that the Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Qatar's appreciation to both Ukraine and the Russian Federation for their cooperation and commitment to ensuring the safety and security of these children and providing them with appropriate care. She added that Ukraine and Russia's cooperation with Qatar's mediation efforts since their inception has been crucial to the success of family reunification operations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson affirmed the continuation of these efforts in the coming period, as long as there is acceptance from both the Russian and Ukrainian sides for this mediation.
In another context, Dr Al Ansari pointed out the launch of a joint financing initiative for international development cooperation and humanitarian response globally by Qatar and the United Kingdom on Sunday. HE Al Khater chaired the meeting held in the framework of launching this initiative, along with Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Andrew Mitchell, Minister of State for Development at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Her Excellency announced during the meeting that Qatar and the United Kingdom have jointly allocated $50mnto address urgent humanitarian and development challenges, reflecting their shared responsibility for responding to crises on a global scale. She considered the launch of this initiative as a testament to the enduring partnership between the two countries.
Dr Al Ansari also highlighted the participation of the Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a high-level public event entitled "Enhancing Primary Healthcare Access in the Global South: Challenges and Solutions," on the occasion of launching the Doha Global South Health Policy Initiative. In her speech, Her Excellency emphasized Qatar's prominent and continuous role over the years in convening discussions on development priorities in the Global South, noting that Qatar hosted the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries last year.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said during the weekly media briefing that Her Excellency considered the Doha Global South Health Policy Initiative to be well-aligned with the development agenda in Southern countries, supporting their development priorities, and fostering a long-term relationship between Qatar and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
He also mentioned that Her Excellency had meetings on the sidelines of these events with various officials, including Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, Deputy Special Representative of Japan for Afghanistan, Assistant Deputy Minister, and Deputy Director General of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Misako Takahashi, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Republic of Indonesia Retno Marsudi Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Human Rights of the State of Kuwait Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al Duaij Al-Sabah, State Secretary of the Kingdom of Norway Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, and President of the Global Development Division at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Dr Christopher Elias.
During the weekly media briefing, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that Qatar hosted last Sunday the second meeting of special envoys on Afghanistan under the auspices of the United Nations, with the participation of António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Dr Al Ansari said that HE Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Khulaifi, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed, in Qatar’s speech during the opening session of the meeting, Qatar’s commitment to supporting the Afghan people and its sincere desire to advance the partnership in Afghanistan. He also expressed Qatar’s pride in the partnership with the United Nations to support the Afghan people.
He pointed out that the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Qatar welcomed the recommendations of the United Nations report, which it believes are constructive and comprehensive recommendations that can provide a consistent approach towards Afghanistan, pointing in this regard to the cooperation of the Qatar Fund for Development and the Education Above All Foundation with the Afghan Ministry of Education Development to support 30,000 of young men and girls are not enrolled in primary schools, and the Qatar Fund for Development signed an agreement with the World Health Organization to support the provision of basic health services in 11 provinces in Afghanistan.
In a separate context, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “In continuation of the air bridge launched by Qatar to provide relief to the brotherly Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, a plane belonging to the Qatari Armed Forces arrived in the city of Al-Arish in the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt on Tuesday, carrying 20 tonnes of aid.” It includes food supplies, provided by the Qatar Fund for Development and the Qatar Red Crescent, bringing the total number of aircraft sent within the framework of this air bridge to 79 aircraft, while the total amount of aid reached 2,354 tonnes.
He added that the 16th batch of wounded Palestinians in the Gaza Strip was evacuated, in preparation for their treatment in Doha, as part of the initiative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to treat 1,500 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, where the wounded were received by HE Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater, Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the number of wounded people who have been evacuated so far to Doha has reached 988 people.
Dr Al Ansari noted, during the weekly media briefing, the arrival of a plane belonging to the Qatari Armed Forces to Kilimanjaro in the United Republic of Tanzania on Monday, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, carrying 49 tonnes of aid, including basic food supplies and health supplies provided by Qatar Charity, as this assistance comes within the framework of Qatar’s support for those affected by floods and landslides in northern Tanzania.
