Qatar and Egypt call for ceasefire talks, condemn Israeli 'escalation'
After Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across Gaza early Tuesday morning, effectively ending a fragile ceasefire, mediators Egypt and Qatar urged a return to the truce and condemned the military action, while other countries in the region criticized Israel.
Qatar’s foreign ministry condemned the strikes, warning that Israel’s “escalating policies will ultimately ignite the region and undermine its security and stability,” News.Az reports citing The Times of Israel.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani demanded international action to compel Israel to implement an immediate ceasefire, abide by the Gaza ceasefire agreement, and return to negotiations as called for under the deal signed in January.
According to a Washington Post report, citing a former Egyptian official briefed on the plan, Egypt and Qatar are working together to push for a renewed ceasefire.
“Egypt and Qatar are planning to have quick connection with Israel side for urgent ceasefire and to start arranging quick meetings in Cairo for entering the next phase and exchange hostages and prisoners in order to achieve peace,” said the official. “Egypt is trying to contact the American side to put some pressure on [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] to accept the ceasefire.”
As recently as Sunday, an Israeli delegation was in Cairo meeting with negotiators about the ceasefire, and a team was also in Doha last week. The ceasefire-hostage release deal, which saw the return of 33 Israeli hostages, including eight bodies, as well as five Thai nationals — in exchange for the release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners — went into effect on January 19.
The first stage of the deal expired on March 1, but with negotiations continuing, fighting did not resume in earnest, though Israel did block aid entering the Strip once Hamas halted freeing captives.
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