Qatar’s PM calls for Gaza ceasefire agreement to be ‘fully implemented’

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has called for the full implementation of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, expressing his hope that the next phase can ultimately be reached. In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera on Friday, he stated that he now expects "the UN Security Council to issue a binding resolution to implement the (ceasefire) agreement."

On Wednesday, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States announced that Hamas and Israel had agreed to a phased deal to halt the Gaza war and exchange Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Mediators said the ceasefire in Gaza would take effect on Sunday. The first phase of the agreement would last seven weeks, during which humanitarian aid would be significantly increased, Israeli forces would gradually withdraw, and Israeli captives would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. If the first phase progresses as Israel expects, the second phase is expected to begin in March.

The Israeli cabinet is expected to approve the ceasefire agreement later on Friday. Al Jazeera's correspondent in Amman, Jordan, Stephanie Dekker, reported that the Israeli government is holding meetings to discuss the matter. "This meeting was originally scheduled for Saturday, but pressure from mediators prompted them to begin today," she said.

Prime Minister Mohammed noted that Qatar and Egypt played a crucial mediating role in the ceasefire talks. He said that the joint efforts of the outgoing Biden administration and members of President-elect Donald Trump’s team were essential to reaching the Gaza ceasefire agreement. However, he emphasized that Qatar’s position is solely as a mediator and stated that “the administration of Gaza after the war is a Palestinian affair.” Prime Minister Mohammed also stressed the importance of mobilizing the international community to support Gaza and establishing mechanisms to support affected families. “We have reached a humanitarian agreement on mechanisms to deliver aid to prevent extortion,” he said.

In addition to negotiating a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, Qatar is also focusing on strengthening ties with the new de facto government in Syria, led by Ahmed Shala, whose “Liberation of Syria Organization” (HTS) led the opposition offensive that overthrew long-time Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad last month. Prime Minister Mohammed met with Shala in Damascus, Syria, on Thursday and called for the lifting of sanctions on Syria. “We have been working to lift the sanctions since the first day of the (Assad) regime’s collapse, and we do not want Syria to collapse,” Prime Minister Mohammed said. “The sanctions were against the Assad regime, and it is no longer logical now. It is impossible for the new government to address international concerns and serve the people while also facing sanctions,” he added.

The United States and the European Union both imposed sanctions on Assad and his government for alleged crimes committed during the war that began after security forces cracked down on pro-democracy protesters in 2011. Washington and Brussels have not yet made a decision on lifting these sanctions, but have begun to express interest in working with the new government in Syria. Prime Minister Mohammed also criticized Israel’s moves to occupy territory near the Golan Heights in southern Syria. “We are against Israel’s reckless incursions into the Syrian buffer zone. We spoke with Ahmed Shala and affirmed that Israel must withdraw, and the incursions should not create new realities,” he said.

Last month, after Assad was overthrown, Israel deployed military forces along the Golan Heights, in the buffer zone separating Syria and Israel. The area has been officially designated as a demilitarized zone under a 1974 UN-brokered ceasefire agreement.