Qatar: Meeting of Mediators on Friday to Discuss Transition to the Second Stage of the Gaza Agreement

SadaNews: Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced on Wednesday that mediators will hold a meeting next Friday to outline a vision for the transition to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement regarding the Gaza Strip. This was stated during televised remarks made by the Qatari Prime Minister during his unspecified-length visit to Washington, which began on Tuesday. The Qatari Prime Minister stated that he discussed in Washington the importance of doubling efforts to move to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement for Gaza. He added that preparations are ongoing with the American side and all mediators for the meeting of all mediators on Friday to outline how to transition to the second phase. The Qatari Prime Minister mentioned that "continuing Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement put mediators in embarrassing positions." He also said that during his visit, he "raised the issue of ongoing Israeli bombing and assassinations in the Gaza Strip." He emphasized the "necessity of delivering unconditional aid to the Gaza Strip," adding, "We do not want the force for stability in Gaza to protect one side over another; it must protect the agreement to end the war." He stressed that "there is an urgent need to transition to the second phase of the agreement in Gaza," noting that "there are many elements in the agreement to end the war in Gaza that must be completed." Additionally, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani continued his meetings on Wednesday with members of the U.S. Congress, discussing ways to strengthen relations and developments in the situation in Gaza. The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the minister met in Washington with several members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, including Senator Steve Daines, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Brian Mast, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, each separately. During the meetings, they "reviewed the strategic relations between the State of Qatar and the United States and ways to support and enhance them, in addition to developments in the situation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories." Doha did not specify the duration of the Prime Minister's visit, which began on Tuesday with a meeting with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Doha and Washington are linked by a "Defense Cooperation Agreement" signed by the two countries in June 1992. The visit is particularly significant as it comes after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier in October, promising to ensure Qatar's security, including the use of military force if it comes under attack. The American commitment came three weeks after an Israeli airstrike targeted the Qatari capital, Doha, in an attempt to assassinate a negotiating delegation from Hamas. On October 25, Trump described Qatar as a "great ally," affirming that it has a "great role in peace in the Middle East."