UN chief, Qatari PM stress need for Mideast de-escalation

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani have emphasized the importance of de-escalating the Middle East crisis, according to a statement issued by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

During a phone call, they reviewed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip, “especially the joint mediation efforts to end the war on the grip,” according to the statement.

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Qatar, the United States, and Egypt brokered a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas, which concluded in late November 2023. However, further mediation efforts over the last six months have not produced the desired outcomes.

Guterres expressed his gratitude for Qatar’s ongoing efforts “aimed at a just, comprehensive, and sustainable solution to the Palestine issue,” the statement continued.

On Thursday and Friday, a new round of Gaza ceasefire negotiations took place in Doha, after which the three mediators issued a joint statement announcing that the talks had made “constructive” progress and that relevant parties would continue to work in the coming days to finalize the deal’s implementation details.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office thanked the mediators for their work and hoped that they would persuade Hamas to accept the provisions of a late May agreement.

Meanwhile, Hamas, which did not take part directly, accused Israel of putting additional requirements to a previously endorsed plan and accused the US administration of attempting to create a “false positive atmosphere,” expressing doubts about the result of the discussions.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Tel Aviv on Sunday and is scheduled to meet with senior Israeli authorities, including Netanyahu, on Monday, according to a senior State Department official. After leaving Israel, Blinken plans to visit Egypt.

Gaza-based health officials announced in a press release on Sunday that the Israeli military murdered 25 Palestinians and injured 72 others in the previous 24 hours, bringing the overall dead toll to 40,099 and injuries to 92,609 since the start of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in October 2023.

Many victims are still trapped in rubble and on roadways beyond the reach of medical personnel and civil defense teams, it added.