During his stop in Jordan on Tuesday, Sanchez announced plans to recognise Palestinian statehood by July.
The return of the internally displaced people in Gaza is the main dispute in the ongoing ceasefire talks, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, told reporters on Wednesday.
“The points that we were stuck on when we were negotiating in Paris in February are basically the same points we are stuck on now[…]now the remaining issue that you hear about everywhere is the return of the IDP’s to their homes, which the Israelis didn’t agree to yet,” Sheikh Mohammed told the press.
The top Qatari official was referring to a round of talks in February in Paris that ended without breakthrough, though efforts to secure a deal have been ongoing. Israel’s negotiating team returned from Cairo on Tuesday and put together “an updated proposal for Hamas.”
The senior Qatari official’s remarks came during a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, held at the Diwan Annex in Msheireb following official talks between the two sides.
Doha was also the last stop of Sanchez’s regional tour, which included Amman and Riyadh.
The discussions focused on the ongoing war in Gaza, with both officials renewing their calls on the international community to adopt a firm, united stance in ending the war.
Opening the press conference, Sheikh Mohammed applauded Spain’s stance towards Palestine, especially regarding the war in Gaza.
During his stop in Jordan on Tuesday, Sanchez announced plans to recognise Palestinian statehood by July.
“I would like to express, not only on behalf of the State of Qatar, but on behalf of all the Arab peoples in the region, my gratitude for Spain’s principled position, as unfortunately we see that there is a division in terms of principles and double standards,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
Speaking to journalists in Doha, Sanchez said the recognition of Palestine comes as part of its vision for a two-state solution.
Spain’s stance also comes as Israel commits more harrowing crimes in Gaza that continue to shock the world. Nearly six months on, Israel has killed 33,000 people in Gaza while displacing more than 80 percent of the population.
Some of the most disturbing massacres recently revealed to the world is the two-week Israeli raid of Al-Shifa Medical Complex. Israeli occupation forces reduced Gaza’s largest hospital to rubble, with footage online showing bodies burned and maimed.
This was followed with Monday’s Israeli attack that killed seven members from the World Central Kitchen (QCK), which Qatar and Spain condemned.
Sanchez said Spain called on the Israeli government to provide clarifications regarding the killing of the foreign aid workers in Gaza, which Israel maintains was “unintentional.”
Sanchez said Israel did not provide sufficient information on the attack.
“We are awaiting a much stronger and more detailed clarification, after which we’ll see what action to take,” Sanchez said.
He also called out Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not abiding by the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions.
“I remind Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu that Security Council resolutions are binding and that he must stop the war,” he said.
With Israel’s planned invasion on Rafah still being a point of concern for the international community, Sheikh Mohammed stressed that the move would only lead to another genocide.
“We don’t see any country but Israel supporting an attack on Rafah. You cannot corner the people, around 50 percent of the population in Gaza, almost 10 percent of the Strip, and attack them,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
“It won’t happen without committing a major genocide beside the genocide being committed in Gaza,” he added.
