Qatar keen to reduce escalation in Gaza: PM

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani affirmed that since the first day of the confrontations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, Qatar has been keen to reduce escalation and calm down with aim to reach a complete cessation of the fighting in order to stop the bloodshed and prevent the region from sliding into a wider cycle of violence the price of which is paid by the peoples of the region who are exhausted by wars and conflicts.During a press conference Friday evening with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, HE Sheikh Mohamed said that Qatar's priorities in its diplomatic actions are to seek an immediate ceasefire, protect civilians, release prisoners and work to limit the expansion of violence and the cycle of conflict in the region, which will have serious consequences if it expands.He stressed Qatar's firm position in condemning all forms of targeting civilians, and that killing innocent civilians, especially women and children, and practising the policy of collective punishment are unacceptable, and that condemnations must be for all parties and not one of them as is the case with some.HE the Prime Minister added that his meeting Friday in Doha with the US Secretary of State comes under critical and unfortunate circumstances with the continued escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories, Gaza and Israel. "We are all following these developments with great sadness and concern."He said that he exchanged views with the US side on ways to open humanitarian corridors to ensure the delivery of relief and aid to the Palestinian brothers who are under bombardment, especially in light of the deteriorating conditions in the Gaza Strip.HE Sheikh Mohamed pointed to the tragic situation in Gaza, including the shortage of basic materials and the outage of electricity and water as a result of the airstrikes on the Strip."Everyone realises that we are facing a difficult reality and a stage that require concerted efforts and endeavors," he said, stressing that there is a need to strengthen efforts with allies and partners, especially the US, in order to calm the situation and spare civilians the consequences of these confrontations."We are certain that the only way to reach a peaceful and immediate solution to this crisis is to keep all channels of communication open with all concerned parties, and that resolving this crisis requires continuous and intensive cooperation," he said, while valuing the regional, international and international efforts to reduce the escalation.He continued: "We, in the State of Qatar, firmly believe in mediation and dialogue, which is part of our foreign policy. We have always sought to keep channels of communication open with various parties in various arenas of conflict, which has contributed to consolidating our international position as a reliable partner in peacemaking.He stressed that Qatar's commitment to its role as a partner in peacemaking and a mediator in resolving conflicts should not be used to harm its reputation by levelling accusations that were proven to be false and the bad faith of its promoters exposed.HE the Prime Minister also stressed that the absence of a just solution to the Palestinian cause will always accompany the absence of peace in this region, calling on the international community to put pressure towards achieving a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue within the framework of the Arab initiative that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and that the Palestinian brothers get their rights permanently.He expressed his aspiration to continue working with partners in the US and support efforts aimed at reducing the escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel and enhancing the security and stability of the region.