Qatar stresses to Washington the necessity of finding a just solution to the Palestinian issue and reducing escalation

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (Reuters)

Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Wednesday stressed to US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan the necessity of finding a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, and stressed the need for continued entry of aid into the Gaza Strip.

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the Qatari Prime Minister discussed with Sullivan ways to reduce the escalation in the Gaza Strip, during their meeting in Washington, DC.

The ministry's statement indicated that the two parties reviewed the strategic relations between Qatar and the United States during the meeting and ways to strengthen and develop them, and discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.

During the meeting, the Qatari Prime Minister stressed the need to find a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue and ensure the continued entry of aid into the Gaza Strip. The meeting also touched on the latest developments in the region and ways to reduce the escalation.

Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs @MBA_AlThani_ meets with the US National Security Advisor #Qatari_Foreign Affairs pic.twitter.com/O6oTq2km6v

- Qatari Foreign Ministry (@MofaQatar_AR) January 31, 2024

Reduce stress

In an interview with the American Fox News network on Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani confirmed that Qatar is seeking to find a peaceful solution to the escalating tension in the Middle East.

The Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said: “We need time to work on a ceasefire in Gaza and release Palestinian prisoners and Israeli detainees in Gaza,” and stressed that “military solutions will not achieve the result we want.”

He also stressed the need to focus on putting an end to the war and returning detainees to their families, and explained that the number of detainees who will be released has not yet been determined.

Progress in negotiations

The Qatari Prime Minister said yesterday, Tuesday, that there is progress in negotiations to reach a prisoner exchange deal between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel, and stressed that it is the only opportunity available to calm the situation in Gaza.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said in statements he made in Washington: “I can say at the present time that the progress we have achieved over the past two weeks puts us in a better position than we were weeks ago.”

He pointed out that the collapse of the negotiations through which a prisoner exchange deal and a temporary truce were reached last November, and the subsequent escalation in the intensity of the war, made the situation more complex.

He recalled that Qatar does not have authority over any party regarding the ongoing negotiations regarding the hostage exchange deal, and stressed that Qatar is doing everything in its power to reach a solution that will put an end to the war and enable the release of prisoners and detainees.

Source: Al Jazeera