Qatar, US call for full implementation of Gaza ceasefire agreement

DOHA, Qatar

Qatar and the US called on Israel and Palestinian factions on Tuesday to fully implement all terms of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner agreement, amid preparations to start negotiations on the second phase of the deal.

This came during a phone call between Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

During the call, the two sides reviewed the “close strategic relations” between Qatar and the US and ways to strengthen bilateral ties, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The talks also addressed the latest developments in the region, particularly in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, the statement said.

According to the ministry, both sides stressed the continuation of joint mediation efforts in the Gaza Strip.

They stressed “the need for the parties to the conflict to implement all the terms of the ceasefire agreement, including the release of prisoners and detainees, and to ensure the flow of humanitarian assistance in a sustainable and unhindered manner to all areas of the Gaza Strip,” it added.

Under the agreement, negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire are expected to commence no later than Feb. 4, and conclude a week before the first phase ends.

The first six-week phase of the agreement took effect on Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The Israeli onslaught has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.