Advisor to Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Qatar Urges Global Pressure on Israel to Respond to Gaza Ceasefire Proposal
Doha| August 26, 2025
Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari affirmed that the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt have been engaged since the first day of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in serious mediation to end the aggression, based on the presumed seriousness of the parties to reach an agreement.
Dr. Al Ansari said, during the weekly media briefing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tuesday, that the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) had previously announced its approval of the new ceasefire proposal, which largely aligns with previous Israeli demands. He added that Israel has not yet provided any official response to the mediators proposal, noting that the State of Qatar urges international parties to exert pressure on Israel to respond to the mediation proposal, as the ball is now in the Israeli court, which does not want to reach an agreement. He also said that the State of Qatar was still waiting for an official response, and that Israel must clarify its reservations about the proposed text before it.
He pointed out that Qatar and Egypt did not pay attention to the location of the negotiations as much as they focused on the main goal, which is the ceasefire, indicating that the circulated statements regarding changing the location of the negotiations are part of political maneuvering, while the most important issue remains the Israeli response to the proposal.
Dr. Al Ansari noted that about ten days have passed since Hamas responded with approval to the proposal without an official response from the Israeli side, confirming that the mediators are in continuous contact with the United States and other concerned parties to push the negotiation process forward.
The Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stressed that the withdrawal statements from the negotiations are unofficial and are issued for internal political considerations in Israel, noting that the State of Qatar welcomes the participation of various international parties in the mediation efforts, but focuses on the main goal, which is the ceasefire.
He expressed the State of Qatar strong condemnation of the targeting of journalists in Gaza, pointing out that the targeting of more than one hundred journalists cannot be a mistake, but rather an attempt to obscure the facts.
Dr. Al Ansari called on the international community to exert more pressure on Israel to stop targeting journalists, ambulance crews, and civilians, stressing that those who kill journalists either hide facts or commit crimes they seek to cover up.
In another matter, the Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to the continued Qatari mediation efforts in regional and international files, including supporting the peace process in the Republic of the Congo, expressing the State of Qatar gratitude to all parties involved in this path, and confirming its commitment to continue its efforts to reach an agreement.
At the beginning of the briefing, Dr. Al Ansari reviewed the most prominent activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the week, including the meeting of HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani with HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov, at the first meeting of the Coordination Council for Strategic Partnership between the two countries, held in Doha.
He also referred to His Excellency meeting with HE the member of the US Congress Senator Joni Ernst, and with HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Dr. Constantinos Kombos, noting that HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs will leave Doha on Thursday heading to Cairo to lead the Qatari delegation at the sixth session of the Joint Higher Committee between the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt.
In the same context, Dr. Al Ansari mentioned that HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi chaired the Qatari delegation at the Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Jeddah to discuss the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.
His Excellency also met on the sidelines of the meeting with HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq Fuad Hussein, while HE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi, met with officials from the Republic of South Africa.
Additionally, the State of Qatar announced the success of its mediation in reuniting a new group of children with their families in Russia and Ukraine, bringing the total number of children reunited with their families since the beginning of the mediation efforts to 107 children.