Qatar shuts down airspace temporarily amid regional crisis
It said the move comes to ensure safety of residents and visitors.
The shutdown of Qatari airspace comes as Iran repeated earlier threats to retaliate against the United States after strikes on its nuclear sites.
Qatar is home to the United States' largest base in the region.
Earlier on Monday, the British government issued a warning recommending that UK citizens in Qatar shelter in place until further notice.
The recommendation followed a similar warning the US government issued to its citizens in the Gulf state.
Following the US warning in Doha, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said warnings by foreign embassies 'do not necessarily reflect the existence of specific or credible threats.'
'We would like to reassure the public that the security situation in the state remains stable,' he wrote on X. 'Qatar continues to exert intensive diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.'
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Maged Abu Ramadan, the PA's health minister and once mayor of Gaza City some two decades ago, stood right next to the two. A striking, sombre figure well into his 70s, Abu Ramadan was more explicit about what he saw as the European role in ending the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza as the most pressing matter at this time. 'We are actually counting on the European Union to do a lot in order to make peace in the Middle East, to stop the killing, this atrocious killing,' the former surgeon, awarded by the UK with an Order of St John, explained to Euronews. The EU remained a 'great partner of the Palestinian Authority,' he said, adding that the actions of former colonial powers France and the UK mattered in particular. 'Because of the Balfour Declaration almost more than a century ago,' he says of the British mandate supporting the creation of a Jewish state in the land of Palestine in 1917, 'they now have an obligation to make another declaration.' 'A Starmer Declaration, perhaps?' he asked in jest, quickly adding that he believed actions being taken by the Elysée Palace and Whitehall amounted to "paramount changes". France has agreed to formally recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in New York next month. Britain has conditionally agreed to follow suit. Both have been heavily criticised by Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the recognition of Palestine would essentially boil down to "rewarding Hamas' monstrous terrorism". Netanyahu has repeatedly opposed the two-state solution, saying that "Israel will continue to oppose unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state." As the two more senior politicians were swamped by media from around the world, seamlessly switching between Arabic and English, Abu Ramadan stepped into the shade of the tent. The top issue on his mind when it comes to the Palestinians — just 3 kilometres but dozens of military checkpoints away — was health. Abu Ramadan hoped he would take over the healthcare of the Strip, if and when a permanent ceasefire is announced and Hamas relinquishes power. 'Ninety per cent of our facilities are destroyed, equipment is destroyed, there's no medication, nothing,' he lamented. Yet the minister saw some hope remain. He estimated to Euronews that 60%-70% of health services could be resumed within six months, without explaining why. 'I'm not talking about the buildings,' he quickly added. 'We Palestinians are excellent in finding solutions out of the box, and doing the work much faster than it usually takes other people,' he said. However, the common theme of external aid returned. 'We cannot do all that we are talking about without the support of our friends from all over the world, whether in Europe, or in the States.' A flurry of action erupts behind him as the other two politicians get up and are whisked through a press pool to their convoy of black four-by-fours. While all talk of statehood, peace and healing remained hypothetical, the convoy was heading to visit children who had left the Strip for emergency healthcare in Egypt, then were rumoured to be heading to the finest local restaurant. Soon after they departed, Hamas announced that it would agree to a 60-day US-Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal, leaving the final decision to Israel. The Qatari foreign minister flew to Cairo for further talks. Back at the crossing, Mahmoud, Ramadan and thousands of other drivers still sat in place, hoping they could drive into one of the world's most dangerous war zones and finally deliver some food. — Euronews
