Qatar, Malta hold round of political consultations
The Qatari side was chaired by Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi. The Maltese delegation was headed by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Tourism of the Republic of Malta HE Christopher Cutajar.
The talks discussed bilateral cooperation and ways to strengthen ties between the two countries.
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Qatar Tribune
19 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Hamas informed mediators of its approval of new Gaza ceasefire proposal: Al Ansari
Khaled Al Hameidi Doha Dr Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has informed mediators of its approval of a new proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Speaking at the weekly media briefing on Tuesday, Dr Al Ansari said the proposal represents the best possible option to spare further bloodshed in Gaza, particularly amid the ongoing military escalation and plans revealed in the media. The new initiative lays out a path towards a comprehensive agreement to end the war. It provides for a 60-day temporary ceasefire, during which prisoners and hostages will be exchanged, Israeli forces will reposition, and humanitarian aid will be allowed into Gaza in accordance with the agreed terms. 'Hamas' response was very positive and largely aligns with what was previously approved by the Israeli side, but mediators are still awaiting an official response from Israel,' Dr Al Ansari noted. He warned that the region is facing a critical humanitarian moment and stressed that failure to reach an agreement now could lead to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Qatar, in cooperation with Egypt, the United States, and other international partners, continues to push for a ceasefire and the facilitation of humanitarian aid. While no specific timeframe has been set for Israel's response, discussions are ongoing, he added. Dr Al Ansari emphasized that nearly 98% of the provisions previously accepted by Israel are included in the current proposal. If both parties agree, the mediation will move into a technical phase to discuss implementation details. He further underlined that the anticipated agreement will be placed under international sponsorship and guarantees, particularly from the United States. However, he noted that true commitment from both sides remains the most important guarantee for success. He said the mediation is still in the stage of exchanging responses. If an agreement is reached between the two parties, a technical phase will begin to discuss implementation details. Dr Al Ansari stressed that the anticipated agreement will be under international sponsorship and guarantees, primarily from the US, but previous experiences have shown that commitment from both parties remains the true guarantee. He pointed out that Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani was in direct contact with the American envoy, and that the language of the proposed draft was formulated by the American side in a previous one. He also affirmed the existence of daily and direct contact between Qatar and the US administration to advance the negotiations. He highlighted that the positive response from Hamas was an important indicator, but the resolution depends on the Israeli side's reply. There are other elements related to the peace plan concerning the exchange of hostages and the mechanism for implementing the agreement once reached, he added. Dr Al Ansari expressed hope that these efforts would succeed, unlike previous attempts that were not implemented on the ground. Regarding the visit of American envoy Steve Witkoff to Doha or Cairo, Dr Al Ansari said that there are currently no confirmations, but communication continues on a daily basis with the American envoy. As for Netanyahu's conditions regarding ending the war in the Gaza Strip, Dr Al Ansari said that the mediation is concerned with official responses to the proposed draft, not with media statements issued by various parties. He emphasized that the primary goal is to reach the fastest possible ceasefire to spare lives, in light of the daily humanitarian losses in the Gaza Strip due to bombing, food and medicine shortages, and the deterioration of the health sector. He confirmed that the proposal accepted by Hamas includes a clear plan to reach a comprehensive agreement to end the war. Regarding Arab and Islamic coordination, Dr Al Ansari referred to the statement issued mid-month by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of 31 Arab and Islamic countries, which condemned the Israeli Prime Minister's statements about what is called Greater Israel vision. He said that there is near-daily coordination between foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries and their counterparts in friendly countries to unify positions regarding Israeli escalation. Dr Al Ansari underlined that Israeli officials are now presenting positions that go beyond the occupation of Gaza or the West Bank or the isolation of Jerusalem, to include talk of occupying sovereign Arab countries, which constitutes a clear violation of international law. He said Qatar has repeatedly condemned these practices, including the settlement plan to separate East Jerusalem from the West Bank, stressing that such policies will not bring security to Israel and will not lead to calming the situation in the region. The Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed the US-Russia summit that brought together US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. He expressed Qatar's hope that these efforts would contribute to reaching a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, reiterating Qatar's position calling for peaceful solutions. He said Qatar initiated humanitarian solutions, most notably the reunification of children affected by the war with their families, confirming that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through Minister of State for International Cooperation HE Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad, is continuing follow up on this file with the concerned parties. Dr Al Ansari also referred to the continued efforts of Qatar in supporting the peace process in the Republic of the Congo. He said Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi is in constant contact with the concerned parties. 'Qatar is working to facilitate negotiations despite the complexity of the situation, with a commitment to finding constructive solutions and supporting the will of the parties to reach a sustainable agreement,' he said.
Qatar Tribune
19 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar hopes efforts to end Gaza war will succeed: Dr Al Ansari
Dr Al Ansari expressed hope that these efforts would succeed, unlike previous attempts that were not implemented on the ground. Regarding the visit of American envoy Steve Witkoff to Doha or Cairo, Dr Al Ansari said that there are currently no confirmations, but communication continues on a daily basis with the American envoy. As for Netanyahu's conditions regarding ending the war in the Gaza Strip, Dr Al Ansari said that the mediation is concerned with official responses to the proposed draft, not with media statements issued by various parties. He emphasised that the primary goal is to reach the fastest possible ceasefire to spare lives, in light of the daily humanitarian losses in the Gaza Strip due to bombing, food and medicine shortages, and the deterioration of the health sector. He confirmed that the proposal accepted by Hamas includes a clear plan to reach a comprehensive agreement to end the war. Regarding Arab and Islamic coordination, Dr Al Ansari referred to the statement issued mid-month by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of 31 Arab and Islamic countries, which condemned the Israeli Prime Minister's statements about what is called Greater Israel vision. He said that there is near-daily coordination between foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries and their counterparts in friendly countries to unify positions regarding Israeli escalation. Dr Al Ansari underlined that Israeli officials are now presenting positions that go beyond the occupation of Gaza or the West Bank or the isolation of Jerusalem, to include talk of occupying sovereign Arab countries, which constitutes a clear violation of international law. He said Qatar has repeatedly condemned these practices, including the settlement plan to separate East Jerusalem from the West Bank, stressing that such policies will not bring security to Israel and will not lead to calming the situation in the region. The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed the US-Russia summit that brought together US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. He expressed Qatar's hope that these efforts would contribute to reaching a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, reiterating Qatar's position calling for peaceful solutions. He said Qatar initiated humanitarian solutions, most notably the reunification of children affected by the war with their families, confirming that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through Minister of State for International Cooperation HE Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad, is continuing follow up on this file with the concerned parties. Dr Al Ansari also referred to the continued efforts of Qatar in supporting the peace process in the Republic of the Congo. He said Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi is in constant contact with the concerned parties. 'Qatar is working to facilitate negotiations despite the complexity of the situation, with a commitment to finding constructive solutions and supporting the will of the parties to reach a sustainable agreement,' he said.
Qatar Tribune
19 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Aid shipment from Cyprus on its way to Gaza Strip
A freighter carrying about 1,200 tonnes of aid supplies for the Gaza Strip has left the Cypriot port city of Limassol. The urgently needed goods will first be taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod, according to the Cypriot Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. From there, they will be forwarded to the Gaza Strip, where the international aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) will distribute them. According to officials in Nicosia, the aid shipment consists mainly of food for children and infants, including flour, pasta, baby food and canned goods. Of the total 1,200 tonnes, 700 tonnes were donated by the Republic of Cyprus, and another 500 tonnes were contributed by the Maltese government and several international aid organizations, including organizations from the United States, Italy and Kuwait. Since the beginning of the Gaza war, Cyprus has positioned itself as a logistical centre for humanitarian operations in Gaza. The island is the EU country closest to the crisis areas in the Middle East and sees itself as a mediator in the region. (DPA)
