2024-01-08 02:43:00
DOHA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) — Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during his meeting with Secretary of State on Sunday visiting American, Antony Blinken.
The Emir of Qatar stressed the importance of the need to work for an immediate ceasefire and to protect civilians, to deliver sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip, and to work to reduce escalation in order to guarantee stability and security in the region, Qatar News agency reported.
Later in the day, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani held a press conference with Blinken in Doha.
The Qatari prime minister told reporters that the assassination of a senior Hamas leader had influenced Qatar’s mediation efforts in the conflict between Israel and Hamas and that Qatar remained committed to continuing them.
He also stressed that hostile actions in the Red Sea, an unfortunate consequence of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, were unacceptable.
Mr. Blinken, for his part, said he would raise the issue of civilian protection during his upcoming visit to Israel, adding that Palestinian civilians must be able to return home and not be forced to leave Gaza.
Mr. Blinken is touring several countries in the Middle East, seeking to defuse the situation following the assassination of a senior Hamas leader, which sharply intensified the crisis in the region. END
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