Qatar, US discuss Gaza ceasefire deal’s implementation, developments in Syria

ISTANBUL

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held discussions Sunday with outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on ways to implement the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip as well as developments in Syria.

Al Thani, who is also Qatar’s prime minister, received a phone call from Blinken, according to a statement from the Qatari Foreign Ministry.

The ministry said the two men addressed “ways to ensure the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of prisoners and hostages, in addition to the developments in Syria.”

They also discussed “the close strategic relations between the two countries and ways to support and strengthen them,” it said.

Al Thani expressed his country’s hope that both sides “would commit to implementing the ceasefire agreement and exchanging prisoners and hostages.”

Blinken expressed “the US’s appreciation for Qatar's role and its continuous efforts that contributed to reaching the agreement.”

The Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect Sunday at 11.15 a.m. local time (0915GMT) after being delayed for a few hours due to Israel accusing the Palestinian group Hamas of delaying the discharge of a list of captives set to be released.

Nearly 47,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 110,700 injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli war has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters ever.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants 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.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala