Turkish Journal – Şevval Erdağ – According to Anadolu Agency’s report, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Wednesday for continuing negotiations to reach a cease-fire deal in the Gaza Strip.
The calls came after the assassination of Hamas’ political bureau head Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, raising concerns about regional escalation and the derailment of the Gaza Strip’s cease-fire and hostage swap deal talks.
The discussions between the Qatari and US officials took up the strategic ties between Qatar and the US and ways to develop them, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
They also discussed the latest developments in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories and joint mediation efforts to end the war on the enclave, the statement said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry “condemned in the strongest terms the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh,” and called it “a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law.”
“The approach of political assassinations and escalation in Gaza raises questions about how to negotiate when one side is killing its counterpart,” he said on X.
“Regional and international peace requires serious partners and an international stance against escalation and the disregard for the lives of people in the region,” he emphasized. (AA)
Photo: AA
