The meeting addressed regional developments and strategies for de-escalation, focusing on joint mediation efforts to resolve the Israeli war on Gaza.
Iran’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani has met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and discussed strategies regarding mobilising regional resources to confront and halt Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.
“The meeting dealt with discussing bilateral cooperation and the means to enhance them and discussing developments in the region and means to de-escalate, particularly joint mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza,” a statement from Qatar’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
The meeting also discussed the mobilisation of efforts to address Israeli crimes committed by Israel on Gaza, along with the provision of urgent aid to Palestinians there.
On the same day, the Iranian diplomat met with Ismail Haniyeh, the Doha-based head of Hamas’s political bureau.
Praising the “heroic resistance” of Palestinians against Israel, Bagheri elaborated on Iran’s recent diplomatic efforts in support of Gaza.
“It is necessary to employ all capacities to force the Zionists to pay a price for the acts of aggression and crimes against Gaza,” Bagheri Kani said, as reported by Mehr News Agency.
He stressed that the struggle against Israeli occupation should include not only armed resistance but also legal, political, and public diplomacy efforts outside Palestine in order to uphold Palestinian rights.
The meetings come against the backdrop of Doha’s efforts to achieve a breakthrough in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.
Qatar, along with Egypt, has been at the forefront of striving to secure a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip by mediating between Hamas and Israel.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has blamed Hamas for the delay in accepting the President Joe Biden’s May 31 ceasefire proposal. He also claimed that Israel had already accepted the proposal, despite no official confirmation as well as conflicting statements by Israeli officials on the matter.
Hamas has consistently denied U.S. accusations that it is obstructing a potential deal, and insisted that any agreement must include the complete withdrawal of Israeli military forces from the enclave. Hamas has also refused to be excluded from any post-war governance plans for Gaza.
The eight-month Israel assault on the Gaza Strip, widely referred to as a genocide, has displaced more than 90 percent of the blockaded territory’s population, with civilian casualties mounting due to ongoing relentless attacks.
At least 37,945 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip since October 7, with more than 85,523 others injured. More than 10,000 are still missing, presumed dead under the rubble of buildings.
