“Hamas’s response to us was very clear…they are willing to give up the governance,” Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said on Wednesday at a Council on Foreign Relations event in New York City.
“The weapons question, from their (Hamas’s) perspective, this is an obligation on all the factions, not on Hamas only. We are trying to push them [sic] to get to a point where they acknowledge that they need to disarm,” he added.
“We need to make sure that the Palestinians are safe and the Israelis are safe. That is the whole purpose of the decommissioning and disarmament.”
Qatar is one of the guarantors, along with the US, Turkey and Egypt, of the Gaza ceasefire deal that was signed earlier this month. The agreement has been marred by violations, including Israel’s refusal to open the Rafah border crossing and Israeli air strikes on the enclave.
On Tuesday, Israel launched its most devastating strikes on Gaza since the ceasefire was signed. At least 104 Palestinians were killed, including dozens of children, as strikes pummelled Gaza City, Khan Younis, and refugee camps in central Gaza.
Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire, citing an alleged attack on troops in Rafah on Tuesday that left one soldier dead, and delays in handing over the bodies of dead captives.
Thani stressed that the attack was “very disappointing and frustrating”, adding that Qatar was focused on de-escalating the situation and preserving the ceasefire.
Hamas denied any involvement in the Rafah shooting.
Speaking with reporters during a trip to East Asia, US President Donald Trump echoed Israel’s claim before saying that he believes the agreement will hold.
“The Israelis hit back, and they should hit back,” Trump added.
Qatar, Turkey and Egypt were instrumental in pushing Hamas to agree to the ceasefire, while Trump appeared to put leverage on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, analysts and diplomats say.
Israel still occupies over half the Gaza Strip, and Trump’s advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, floated an idea to rebuild the Israeli-occupied half of the enclave while leaving the part currently controlled by Hamas destroyed. The US wants Persian Gulf Arab states to invest in Gaza’s reconstruction, but there has been little evidence that they are willing to provide funds now.
When asked about Israel’s ongoing occupation of Gaza, Thani cited Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan.
“When you look at President Trump’s plan, the major themes are ending the war, no occupation, and no annexation [of Gaza]. These are three key principles,” he said.
“Ultimately, they need to withdraw once the international stabilisation force comes into place,” he added.
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