Media Center

Doha, January 17, 2025

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani on Friday underlined the need to mobilize international support for Gaza and to develop mechanisms to support the affected families after the success of the joint mediation in reaching a ceasefire in the Strip, expressing hope that the agreement reached two days ago will be fully implemented and that the tragedy of Gaza and its people will end.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, His Excellency explained that a humanitarian protocol has been reached between the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the United States and Israel regarding the mechanism for delivering aid.

His Excellency added that the announcement of the agreement indicated the importance of mobilizing international efforts to provide all support to the people of Gaza and the affected families, pointing that Qatar is working with its partners in Egypt and the UN to secure delivering aid to Gaza, and to put in place the necessary mechanisms for that.

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani expressed the happiness of the Amir and people of the State of Qatar, a happiness no less than the happiness of the people of Gaza. "When we saw the joy of the people of Gaza, HH the Amir said ..We forgot the tiring efforts of the 15 months to reach this result." This is a crucial time after reaching this agreement that was announced last Wednesday, His Excellency said pointing that the final touches of the deal were completed shortly before dawn, which indicates the difficulty of the matter. "We are now awaiting the internal procedures of the Israeli government to ratify the agreement, and we hope that implementation will begin on time next Sunday." His Excellency touched on the efforts made by the State of Qatar to bridge the gap between the two parties to the conflict until reaching the agreement, emphasizing the State of Qatar's respect for its role as a mediator despite its clear position on the Palestinian issue and its support for the people of Gaza.

He also pointed out that the last few days were decisive and made a big difference in the agreement, explaining that the past months saw intensive and unannounced work that lead to preparing political ground for the agreement.

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani also noted the efforts of the two US administrations (of outgoing President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump) in reaching the agreement, pointing in this context to the decisive role of the US President-elect's envoy in the process.

His Excellency signaled that everyone knows who was obstructing the agreement, revealing that the deal that was signed last Wednesday is the same one that was drafted and approved by the parties in December 2023.

In response to a question about the criticism directed at the State of Qatar over its mediation to end the war in Gaza, His Excellency said that Qatar's critics did nothing to stop the war, adding that there were "cheap criticism and blackmail against Qatar's role." Qatar responded to the blackmail with deeds, not statements, he said.

The State of Qatar focused mainly on achieving the goal, His Excellency said pointing that HH the Amir has always said: "No matter what the criticism, if our efforts will save one life, I am ready to sacrifice anything for that end." HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs also lauded the partnership between the State of Qatar and Egypt in the mediation efforts that resulted in reaching the ceasefire agreement, saying that such partnership gives an example of how joint work between Arab countries results in achieving the aspirations of the Arab peoples.

Regarding the guarantees for implementing the agreement, His Excellency stressed that the joint mediation sought as much as possible to put in place things that could achieve the maximum level of guarantees, noting at the same time that the basic guarantee is the implementation of the agreement and the commitment of the parties to it.

He explained that if the Israeli Prime Minister wanted to back out of the agreement, he could create a thousand reasons to return to war, regardless of the guarantees the mediation has put in place. Nevertheless, the Mediation has put in place a mechanism to promptly address any defect in the agreement, and there will be a joint operations room in Cairo to follow up on its implementation and ensure that no problem occurs that could lead to its collapse.

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, pointed out that the other guarantee is to continue the understandings for the second and third stages, and to continue the procedures followed in the first stage until reaching the final understandings stage. The mediators guarantee that these talks will continue and the procedures will continue with the same pace.

"We are also waiting for a binding resolution from the UN Security Council to implement the agreement in its entirety,' His Excellency said voicing belief that negotiations are underway in this regard within the Security Council.

His Excellency pointed to detailed mechanisms that have been discussed in coordination with Egypt, to follow up on the implementation of the agreement and related field matters such as the return of the displaced people, and to follow up on the commitment to allowing humanitarian aid, which is a major part of the agreement. Humanitarian aid was, unfortunately, used as a means of political blackmail and military pressure, which is considered a war crime, he stressed.

His Excellency referenced to efforts for fully implementing the first, and entering the second stage, which will "hopefully be final", to end the war completely without the need for going to the third stage, noting that a framework has been established for the three stages according to the model approved in December 2023. Efforts will be exerted to reach understandings and close the entire file completely during the first and second stages.

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani spoke about the concerns related to the implementation of the agreement, explaining that these concerns are related to the first day of the first phase of the withdrawal, when the Israeli forces are repositioned within the borders of the Gaza Strip away from populated areas, which may create some friction when residents return to their homes, in addition to some concerns during the prisoner and hostage exchange phase, like what in November 2023. He reiterated that the parties sought to put in place all the necessary mechanisms from the point of view that could protect the agreement and prevent any disruption.

Regarding the situation in Gaza after the end of the war, His Excellency said that the position of the State of Qatar as a mediator is clear, which is that the management of Gaza is a Palestinian affair and no country or party has the right to interfere in it, adding that it is the duty of Arab and Islamic countries to support the Palestinians to reach understandings regarding their management of the Strip.

As for his visit to Damascus, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed that his meetings were positive and fruitful, and that they addressed several topics, including the support required for the Syrian people at this stage; lifting the sanctions; and the new administration's vision for the next stage. He expressed satisfaction with the general situation, saying that life is going normally and the Syrians need some time to arrange their affairs and prepare for the next stage.

His Excellency stressed that the State of Qatar has been making efforts to lift the sanctions since the first day following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, and that it does not want Syria to collapse. He also voiced Qatar's rejection of Israel's reckless action of incursion of the buffer zone in Syria and destroying the capabilities of the Syrian people.

In this regard His Excellency said that he has spoken with the leader of the new Syrian administration and stressed the necessity of the Israeli withdrawal, not considering the buffer zone issue as a new reality for negotiation, and focusing negotiation on the occupied Golan.

His Excellency stressed the need to return to the rules as they were in the past regarding the Israeli incursion without any additional demands, expressing his hope that this issue will be resolved as soon as possible.

His Excellency stressed the need to return to the rules as they were in the past regarding the Israeli incursion without any additional demands, expressing his hope that this issue will be resolved as soon as possible.

He also touched on the sanctions imposed on Syria, explaining that they were imposed on Al Assad's regime not on the people, saying that the new administration can not address international concerns and work for its people under the sanctions. His Excellency added that Qatar is in constant discussion with Western parties in this regard, stressing the existence of a response "although not at the required speed... but at least there are positive steps being taken in this context." His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said that Ahmed Al-Sharaa's vision for minorities in Syria is promising, stressing that the new Syrian administration seeks to preserve the diverse social fabric that date back for over a thousand years.

Regarding the rumors about dividing Syria, His Excellency expressed dismay for what is being rumored about conspiracies being hatched to divide Syria, but he expressed confidence in the awareness of the Syrian people and their ability to preserve the territorial integrity of their country.