Doha, 12 June 2024

Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of State of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani affirmed Qatar's commitment to bridging the gap and bringing parties together to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all prisoners and hostages.

During a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken,  he said that today's meeting built on a series of important discussions and deliberations over the past eight months regarding the war in Gaza and ways to end it,

in addition to discussing working to prevent the expansion of violence and conflict in the region. Qatar Prime Minister added that he discussed with the U.S. Secretary of State the response Qatar received yesterday, Tuesday, from Hamas and the Palestinian factions regarding the latest proposal on a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.

He said that the response is currently being studied, and coordination with the concerned parties on the next steps is underway.

He stressed that Qatar, Egypt, and the United States are committed to their partnership to end this war and reach a prisoner and hostage exchange deal. He expressed appreciation for the intensive efforts exerted by U.S. President Joe Biden to unify visions and reach this proposal in a way that approximates, as much as possible, the perspectives of all parties.

The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar underscored Qatar's commitment to bridging the gap between the parties and its continuous efforts to resolve these differences in the best way to end the war as soon as possible.

He stressed that every day lost is a loss in civilian and innocent lives, Everyone should take a clear stance to demand an end to this war, explaining that since the beginning of the crisis, nearly 37,000 have been martyred and 84,000 have been wounded so far, in addition to the ongoing policy of collective punishment and starvation used against the brothers in Gaza.

He said that reaching an agreement to save innocent lives during this period is very important, in addition to its role in saving the region from being on the brink of collapse and explosion. His Excellency pinned hopes on the American role and Qatar's partners in Egypt and all countries to pressure all parties to reach an agreement to end this war.

He added that the conflict has reached a turning point to find sustainable solutions, not temporary ones, that would bring security and stability to Gaza, the West Bank, and everyone living in this region. His Excellency emphasized that the permanent solution is a just solution by establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital according to international legitimacy resolutions, on the 1967 borders.

He pointed out, during the press conference, that the countries in the region are open to having a clear peace plan according to the Arab Peace Initiative, noting the movement at the UN General Assembly to accept Palestine as a full member of the UN, contributing to a two-state solution.

He expressed his appreciation for the cooperation and strategic partnership with the United States in this crisis and in many common issues between the two countries.
In response to journalists' questions, He confirmed that Qatar's efforts in the negotiation process are not new, as they undergo phases of give-and-take to reach an agreement and usually do not include a definitive yes or no answer.

He expressed hope to reach an agreement as soon as possible. He said that there was hope for more momentum in the past few days, but that unfortunately there were challenges. His Excellency reiterated Qatar's commitment to providing proposals to bridge the gap between the parties.

He noted that having three countries (Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S.) as guarantors of this process ensures that these negotiations will continue to reach a permanent ceasefire.

Sheikh Mohammed added that the coming weeks will see a proposal for elements of that plan, including concrete ideas on how to manage Gaza, security, and reconstruction.

He pointed out the importance and necessity of this plan to transform the truce into a permanent end to the war, and to convert the end of the war into a just and lasting peace, which can serve as a foundation for building a more integrated, stable, and prosperous region.

During the press conference, he mentioned that he had heard many stories from Palestinians who managed to leave Gaza and learned about the conditions of their families and relatives there, saying that this drives him to work on ending this suffering, ending the conflict, and putting everyone on a path to just and lasting peace.

Earlier, both Qatar Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani and Secretary of State, United States of America Antony Blinken had discussed close strategic relations between Qatar and US and ways to support and enhance them.

They also discussed the response of Hamas and the Palestinian factions to the recent truce proposal, in addition to the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories and the latest updates in the joint mediation efforts to end the war on the Strip.