The Gaza negotiations are at a critical stage and the ceasefire has not been completed

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Saturday that negotiations on consolidating a ceasefire in Gaza are going through a critical stage.

He added during a discussion session within the activities of the Doha Forum in Qatar, that the mediators are working together to advance efforts to enter the next phase of the ceasefire.

The intensity of violence has decreased, but has not stopped since the ceasefire agreement in Gaza entered into force in 10 October.

The Qatari Prime Minister said, “We are at a critical moment. We have not achieved the goal yet. So what we have just done is just a temporary pause.”

He continued, “We cannot consider it a ceasefire yet. The ceasefire cannot be completed without a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of stability to Gaza, and the ability of residents to enter and exit, and this is not the case today.”

He continued, the mediators are working together to enter the next phase of the ceasefire.

The Qatari Prime Minister stated that his country, Turkey, Egypt and the United States, which are the sponsors of the truce, “are coming together to advance the next phase” of the plan.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani pointed out that “this stage is just a temporary stage from our perspective.”

He added, “If we are merely resolving what happened in the past two years, this is not enough,” calling for “a sustainable solution that achieves justice for both peoples.”

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati met with the Qatari Prime Minister on the sidelines of the forum to discuss a ceasefire, according to what Cairo announced on Saturday.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “The meeting discussed developments in the field situation in the Gaza Strip, where the two officials stressed the importance of continuing efforts aimed at implementing the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Agreement in all its stages… as well as quickly forming the International Stabilization Force and enabling it to fulfill its mandate.”