Speaking in Paris on Tuesday, Sheikh Tamim called for an end to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.

Qatar has announced increasing its investment to €10 billion ($10.85 billion) in various sectors in France over the coming years on Tuesday during the visit of Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Paris.

“The Amir also stressed what was agreed upon during the official discussions to increase the State of Qatar’s investments in France to 10 billion Euros in the coming years, which will be directed to strengthening strategic economic partnerships between the two countries,” the Amiri Diwan said in a statement.

The Qatari investments would be pumped into start-ups and investment funds in France between 2024 and 2030, Reuters reported, citing the French presidency. Some of the sectors include energy, artificial intelligence, health, and hospitality, the report added.

The announcement came as part of Sheikh Tamim’s visit to France, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron. 

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is part of the Qatari delegation on the state visit. Macron also awarded Sheikh Tamim the Legion of Honor with the rank of “Chevalier.”

Gaza war

The official talks dealt with the two countries’ bilateral ties and international issues of concern, at the top of which is the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.

Both countries witnessed the signing of a declaration of intent for cooperation in humanitarian assistance and emergency intervention, the Amiri Diwan said. 

The signing took place as three aircraft carrying 75 tonnes of aid for Gaza landed in Egypt’s El Arish, marking the launch of the joint Qatari and French humanitarian aid initiative. 

The flights carried 10 ambulances, shelter supplies and food items, according to a statement by Qatar’s foreign ministry.

The amir’s visit to France comes as the Gulf state plays a pivotal mediating role in securing the release of captives from Hamas and reaching a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza. The Israeli war has neared its fifth month without a ceasefire in sight, with nearly 30,000 killed, mostly women and children.

Speaking in Paris on Tuesday, Sheikh Tamim called for an end to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.

“The world is witnessing the genocide of the Palestinian people using the weapon of hunger, forced displacement, and indiscriminate bombardments. And the international community is still failing to adopt a unified position to end the war in the Gaza Strip and provide the strict minimum of protection for children, women and civilians,” Sheikh Tamim said.

He added that there is “a race against time” to reach a deal that would return the hostages and end the suffering of Palestinians, as cited by the Associated Press.

The amir’s visit comes after two rounds of talks held in Paris with the attendance of officials from Qatar, Egypt, the United States, and Israel. The first such talks took place on January 28 and another round took place over the weekend.

Israel’s war cabinet also reportedly planned to send a delegation to Qatar this week, though the Gulf state has not publicly commented on the reports. Talks with the relevant parties in Doha reportedly continued on Tuesday, according to the AP.

Mediators have been aiming to secure a deal before the beginning of the Holy month of Ramadan, set to begin during the second week of March.

On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden said he hoped that a ceasefire in Gaza could begin by the start of next week, saying Israel was ready to halt its operations during Ramadan as part of any deal.

Asked during an election campaign trip to New York on Monday whether such an agreement would materialise, Biden replied: “I hope by the end of the weekend.”

His remarks angered Israeli officials, who dismissed plans to pause the war. 

Israel has been refusing Hamas’s demand for a ceasefire while vowing to advance deeper into Rafah, where at least 1.4 million displaced Palestinians have been sheltering since the beginning of the war.

Last year, Qatar and Egypt mediated a pause between November 24 and December 1, enabling the release of at least 110 Israeli and foreign captives from Gaza. 

Qatar and France also mediated a deal in January over the shipment of medicine to the remaining captives, believed to be around 130.