Qatar hopeful of Gaza truce before the advent of Ramadan

The Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said Tuesday that what is happening to the brotherly Palestinian people as a result of intentional starving in the north of Gaza and the strip in general is a real catastrophe that cannot be tolerated, pointing out that the international community must take a clear stand against this.During the weekly press briefing organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Al Ansari highlighted that what is broadcasted on television reflect the bitter humanitarian tribulation and the cataclysmic situation unfolding in the north of Gaza with over 300,000 people living there without food, medicine, water, electricity and all forms basic life supporting amneties.Any assistance now being provided to the Gaza Strip is an extremely small portion of what the population actually needs, he said. There are 2.5 million people living in a complete shortage of health and emergency services, with more than one million people living in tents in the south of the strip.Dr. Al Ansari affirmed that these numbers and the humanitarian needs are unimaginable. The delivery of humanitarian aid inn these conditions are very difficult and thus limitted, he pointed out.Dr. Al Ansari stressed the importance of unhindered and open access of humanitarian assistance, as the State of Qatar has been persistently insisting. Qatar appreciates the efforts of all states, as well as regional and international partners to deliver aid to the brothers in Gaza.He pointed out that the air bridge that has been initiated by Qatar in El Arish city of Egypt to deliver aid to Gaza witnessed over 80 aircraft operating, while the challenges of taking this aid to Gaza are constantly overwhelming. He said there are reports about a remarkable reduction in relief action and providing assistance and all these lead to further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.The international community must seriously stand up against this conspicuous violation of international law and handle it with more clarity, because there has not been any real pressure on the part of the international community to allow the full and unconditional flow of aid, Dr. Al Ansari stressed.Regarding the mediation efforts currently ongoing, Dr. Al Ansari confirmed that the State of Qatar seeks to stop the fighting before the advent of the Holy Ramadan, in collaboration with its partners, stressing that the pressure is on to reach a deal. He added that he is hopeful of reaching the deal soon, to be declared before the Holy Ramadan, but the situation on the ground is fraught with numerous hitches and problems, pointing out that any development in this aspect would be announced once a deal was reached.It is painful to have the issue of getting the humanitarian assistance being laid out on the negotiating table, as there have been repeated remarks about the fact that the humanitarian aspect should not be part of negotiations, Dr. Al Ansari noted, affirming that what is happening in the strip is a real contravention of humanitarian law and a flagrant violation of all international norms and charters pertaining to sparing the civilians the scourges of wars.He reaffirmed that it is painful to see the humanitarian aid being part of the negotiation and mediation, but anyway such a humanitarian matter is part and parcel of the current mediation efforts with its all details.Dr. Al Ansari also reviewed the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its officials concerning their meetings and participations in the regional and global events, including the scheduled joint meeting of the joint Qatari-Egyptian supreme committee co-chaired by HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani and HE the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt Sameh Shoukry that will be held Saturday, pointing out that the committee was formed in 2022 under the chairmanship of the ministers of foreign affairs in the two countries to hold persistent consultation and reinforce cooperation and coordination in a variety of fields.With the State of Qatar currently presiding over the 44th session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs will chair the regular ministerial council meeting of the 159th session of Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Sunday in Riyadh, where His Excellency will deliver the inaugural speech as chairman of the session, Dr. Al Ansari highlighted.Dr. Al Ansari added that the Joint ministerial meetings between the GCC states, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the Arab Republic of Egypt will be held Sunday in Riyadh, chaired by HE Sheikh Mohammed in his capacity as the head of the State of Qatar's delegation and chairman of the session.He added that HE Sheikh Mohammed will head to the US capital Washington Monday to chair the state of Qatar's delegation in the inauguration of the 6th Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue. He will lead the state delegation which includes a host of officials, pointing out that the Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue was founded in 2018 to jointly coordinate regional and global issues, reinforce bilateral cooperation in the areas of health, humanitarian aid, international development, human rights, regional cooperation, climate change, trade, investment, culture and education, along with the constant close strategic cooperation in various files.This year dialogue includes numerous sessions in new fields, including international cooperation, economy, counter-terrorism, security, law enforcement, defense, sport, strategic planning, consular affairs, human rights, employment, strategic communication, emerging technology and humanitarian assistance, Dr. Al Ansari noted, highlighting that His Excellency will meet a number of US officials led by HE US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.Dr. Al Ansari reminded the activity of HE the Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater during last week and Her Excellencys participation in the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, as well as her aspiration to reelect Qatar for the council membership from 2025 to 2027, in addition to her participation in the Disarmament Conference (High-Level Segment), in Geneva, the high-level ministerial side event on the "Human Rights Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Humanitarian Law", alongside HE Al Khater's meetings with a host of Arab and European officials on the margins of these meetings. He pointed out that HE Al Khater will depart Geneva heading to the Republic of Türkiye to participate in Antalya Diplomacy Forum held during March 1 to 3.