Khaled Al Hameidi
Doha
Qatar continues to play a pivotal role in facilitating negotiations for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, now in its sixteenth day.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said that discussions are advancing without any significant violations reported of the agreement, according to the operations room monitoring its implementation. He confirmed that the State of Qatar continues to pave the ground for the Gaza ceasefire agreement’s second phase talks, due to commence 16 days after the first phase takes effect.
He said that the focus is currently on monitoring the implementation of the agreement.
Dr Al Ansari pointed out that there is still no real breach that could lead to an escalation and hence the failure of the agreement, stressing that a lot of complaints about the implementation of the agreement have been dealt with by the parties, with none of them rising to the point of being real.
He added that an agreement has been reached between the two parties to release the detainee Erbil Yehud, whose release the Israeli side was demanding in advance before next Friday, a problem that posed one of the biggest challenges in the framework of the agreement implementation and the continuation of the truce.
Yet, the intensive contacts and the activation of the operations room streamlined an agreement, he added, noting that two more hostages besides Erbil Yehud will be released. He also explained that many challenges that were hindering the return of Palestinian citizens to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip have been overcome.
He highlighted the scenes of Palestinians returning to their homes, which were unfortunately destroyed, yet they still represent their land to which they remain attached regardless of its status or condition.
Al Ansari underscored that the logistical and operational challenges related to the entry of aid to the Gaza Strip are huge, and the issue of crossing it from one point to another is never easy, and that Qatar is working through the operations room with its partners in the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America to ensure that the entry of aid is being properly monitored.
He underlined the need for the Palestinian and Israeli sides, as well as the international parties, to introduce the largest amount of aid during this period, amid the currently unspeakable humanitarian need in the Gaza Strip.
He added that there is a mechanism for distributing aid inside the Gaza Strip that has been set up at the border crossings, as Qatari aid enters through the Erez Crossing, but there are many logistical challenges on the ground that need to be dealt with. He pointed out that the State of Qatar is working around the clock with its mediation partners, the international community and international institutions to ensure that these obstacles to the entry of aid are overcome.
Dr Al Ansari explained that some estimates indicate the return of more than 300,000 Palestinians from the south of the Strip to its north, with the State of Qatar working with its partners in the Arab Republic of Egypt through the Qatari-Egyptian Committee to ensure a smooth transition for Palestinian citizens. He reiterated that this confirms the need for immediate aid access to the north of the Strip, with the displaced people returning to their homes passing through a very difficult humanitarian situation and being in dire need of the international community support to be stable, and appropriate health and food conditions to accommodate their large numbers.
He expressed the State of Qatar’s appreciation for the cooperation with the US administration, which was indispensable to reach this stage, noting that the positive cooperation between the two sides extends on many issues, and that Qatar is also working on formulating a joint policy regarding regional issues.
