Doha, Qatar: Adviser to the Prime Minister and official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari has said that Qatar is working with its partners to advance the Gaza ceasefire agreement to the second phase.
He said that Qatar has been monitoring the implementation of the agreement from day one through the joint monitoring room in Cairo in coordination with various mediation partners.
“The recorded violations are not only concerning but are of great importance to Qatar in terms of monitoring and addressing them.”
He added that communications between the parties are ongoing at multiple levels to reach the second phase of the agreement. “We think that we should be pushing the parties to stage two very, very soon,” he said while addressing a weekly media briefing yesterday.
He said that the process also included the issues that were complicating the situation like the fighters in the tunnels behind the Yellow Line and other incidents taking place frequently. Al Ansari said that the ceasefire in Gaza remains in place and stressed the need to build on it as an opportunity to advance towards the second phase.
He noted that every violation of the truce threatens this truce.
“Every violation of this truce is effective in its impact on the ground. However, until this moment, this is the longest truce that has continued since the start of the war despite all the violations associated with it and despite the martyrs who fell during this truce.”
“This is because the truce is still in effect, and this is what we are building upon now: transforming this truce into an opportunity to advance to the second phase, which the State of Qatar is working on with its partners.”
To a question, he said that the killing of a journalist is nothing but a blatant indication of Israel’s refusal to allow the truth to reach the world. On a question about ongoing talks for peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, he said, “We always support building international efforts that lead to resolving this conflict quickly and peacefully. This is what we have seen, of course, during Qatar’s participation, for example, with its mediation in the release of children.”
Responding to another question about the possibility of Qatar mediating between the US and Venezuela, Al Ansari said that Qatar in the past played the role of mediator for a prisoner exchange between the two countries. “We are following the tensions that are happening right now in that part of the world and we are concerned with the development.”
“We remain ready and steadfast to support any political dialogue that is needed by the parties but at the moment there is no such dialogue in place... our capacity has always been ready for the international community, for our friends in the United States and in Venezuela and other countries to help whatever they need.”
Regarding the 46th Gulf Summit, scheduled in Manama, Bahrain, he said that it will address all the regional issues. He highlighted that the GCC countries have played significant roles in addressing crises inside and outside the region over recent months and years, giving this summit special importance.
