Qatar calls for complete halt to Israeli aggression against Gaza

Following a UN-backed ceasefire plan, the Qatari prime minister has emphasized the need for a permanent solution to the ongoing Israeli onslaught in the besieged Gaza Strip rather than simply “temporary measures.”

 Sheikh Mohammed said during a press conference in Doha on Wednesday that there was a clear and firm call to end the war in Gaza.

"We are witnessing a shift in this conflict in the recent period and there is a clear and firm call to end this war", the premier was quoted as saying.

The Qatari premier said that a “just solution” to the war on Gaza should pave the way towards the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani made the remarks during a joint press briefing with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, in Doha.

The US top diplomat, for his part, addressed Hamas’s response to the UN-backed ceasefire plan. Blinken said that some of Palestinian groups’ requested amendments are workable, but some are not.

Blinken also added that there is ‘no guarantee’ that a possible ceasefire agreement will come through.

The US secretary of state met with the Qatari prime minister to discuss Gaza ceasefire talks after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad submitted a response to a UN-backed proposal to the mediators in Qatar and Egypt.

Hamas has already welcomed a Security Council vote to adopt a resolution backing a ceasefire. But Hamas says its demands must be met, including a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Hamas accepts UN Security Council ceasefire resolution: Official

They want a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Hamas said on Tuesday that its “positive” response to the proposal opened a “wide pathway” to reach an agreement.

The Palestinian resistance group also issued a formal response to the three-stage ceasefire plan, asking for a number of amendments, including a ceasefire timeline.

Hamas seeking US guarantees over Gaza ceasefire plan

The Palestinian resistance movement is seeking guarantees from the US that Israel will live up to its commitments under the UN-backed ceasefire proposal.

The ceasefire plan starts with a six-week ceasefire in phase one, transitioning to negotiations for a full ceasefire in phase two. The ceasefire is to remain in place as long as negotiations are ongoing.

Egyptian sources with knowledge of the talks said Hamas would only accept the plan if the guarantees were in place, and Egypt was in contact with the US about the demand.

However, Israeli authorities, including the prime minister, have insisted Israel is still dedicated to destroying Palestinians in the besieged territory, raising questions about their commitment to a lasting ceasefire.

The United States has said Israel accepted the proposal, but Israel has not publicly stated this.

Blinken said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has committed himself to the plan, although his war cabinet members have not formally endorsed it.

Biden is eager to end a war that has taken a mounting toll on civilians and turned parts of his Democratic Party base against him months ahead of a razor-close election.

More Palestinians have lost their lives as the Israeli regime continues its genocidal onslaught in defiance of an international outcry.

In the latest attacks, 14 people were killed across the Gaza Strip, including six in Gaza City where a residential building was hit.

The regime’s forces keep pounding the strip indiscriminately with air and artillery strikes.

UN says Israel may have committed war crimes in Nuseirat massacre

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said it was “profoundly shocked” at the impact of the Israeli assault on civilians.

The focal point of the attacks has now shifted to the southern city of Rafah.

Despite repeated calls from the UN and aid agencies, the regime keeps blocking lifesaving humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Israel has killed over 37,200 Palestinians in Gaza since early October.

Meanwhile a UN report says at least 93,000 children are suffering from malnutrition in Gaza.

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