Qatar’s senior diplomatic official has called on Israel to prevent the delay in recovering two slain hostages’ bodies from obstructing the implementation of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, adviser to Qatar’s prime minister and foreign ministry spokesman, emphasized in a Sunday interview with The New Arab that Palestinian teams continue recovery efforts while stressing the critical need to advance the agreement’s second phase.
Al Ansari stated that mediators are working to ‘cut off any Israeli excuses’ that might derail the process, acknowledging significant challenges including Israel’s repeated violations of current and past truces. Qatar’s mediation focuses on three primary objectives: conflict resolution, humanitarian aid delivery, and preventing annexation of Palestinian territories.
However, Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum strongly criticized the Qatari position, reminding mediators that hostage return constitutes the agreement’s fundamental core. The controversy emerges amid a devastating human cost, with Gaza’s death toll surpassing 70,000 despite the supposed ceasefire.
Regional diplomatic efforts intensified as officials from Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye convened in Cairo last week to address implementation obstacles. Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa reaffirmed Palestine’s sovereignty over Gaza and the West Bank during meetings with Denmark’s foreign minister.
The UN Committee against Torture recently condemned Hamas’ October 2023 attacks while expressing deep concern over Israel’s ‘disproportionate response’ causing massive civilian casualties. Reconstruction conferences have stalled due to insufficient guarantees against continued destruction, as Israel and Hamas trade accusations over truce violations.
Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought a presidential pardon in his corruption trial, arguing proceedings hinder his governance capabilities, adding domestic political complexity to the regional crisis.