The war entered its 11th month on Wednesday, with at least 39,653 people killed in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has also caused a humanitarian catastrophe.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and U.S. President Joe Biden have discussed joint mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas as the war in the Gaza Strip enters its 11th month.
According to a statement by the Amiri Diwan, the discussions between both leaders took place over the phone on Tuesday where they “reviewed regional and international developments of common interest.”
“The strategic relations between the State of Qatar and the United States were discussed, in addition to the latest developments in the situation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, and joint mediation efforts to end the war on the Strip,” the Amiri Diwan said.
The White House separately said that Sheikh Tamim and Biden emphasised the need to reach “an immediate ceasefire and hostage release deal.” Biden also thanked Sheikh Tamim for facilitating the negotiations that he said “reached a final stage.”
“President Biden and Sheikh Tamim agreed on the urgency of bringing the process to closure as soon as possible. Both leaders and their teams agreed to remain in close coordination over the coming days,” the White House said.
On the same day, Biden called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, whose country is also playing a critical mediation role alongside Qatar. Similarly, the call focused on efforts aimed at reaching an immediate ceasefire and a deal that would release the remaining captives from Hamas.
Qatar, the host of the Hamas political bureau, has been at the forefront of mediation efforts throughout the war alongside Egypt, which shares ties with Israel.
Late last year, mediation efforts led to a truce that resulted in the release of 109 Israeli captives out of 251 held by Hamas and 240 Palestinians from Israeli prisons, some of whom have since been re-arrested by Israeli forces.
Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled since the expiration of the truce, with Israeli occupation forces intensifying the brutal onslaught while rejecting demands for a complete ceasefire.
The war entered its 11th month on Wednesday, with at least 39,653 people killed in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has also caused a humanitarian catastrophe.
The fate of the ceasefire talks were questioned globally after Israel assassinated Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.
Haniyeh was assassinated alongside his companion, Wasim Abu Shaaban, in Tehran using what Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed to be a “short-range projectile” launched from outside his residence.
Qatar had strongly condemned the assassination and described it as “a heinous crime, a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of international and humanitarian law.”
In a statement following the assassination, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani questioned the Israeli move.
“Political assassinations and continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side? Peace needs serious partners and a global stance against the disregard for human life,” he said on X on July 31.
Israel has yet to publicly claim responsibility for the killing of Haniyeh as the U.S. maintains that it has no knowledge on the matter.
