Qatari PM: Gaza cease-fire incomplete without 'full withdrawal' of Israel

The cease-fire in the Gaza Strip remains incomplete without a “total withdrawal” of Israeli forces from the Palestinian territory, the prime minister of Qatar, one of the mediating countries in the conflict, said on Saturday.

“We are at a critical moment … We cannot yet consider that there is a cease-fire. A cease-fire can only be complete with the total withdrawal of Israeli forces and a return of stability to Gaza,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani during a conference in Doha.

After two years of devastating war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, the mediating countries, Qatar, the United States and Egypt, secured a cease-fire agreement that came into force on Oct. 10.

The first phase provided for the return of all hostages taken on Oct. 7, both alive and dead, with one final body still to be handed over to Israel, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, as well as a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The second phase of the plan, which has not yet been approved, provides for the total withdrawal of the Israeli army, the disarmament of Hamas, the establishment of a transitional authority, and the deployment of an International Stabilization Force (ISF). “At this moment, we — Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, together with the United States — are meeting to move forward with the next phase,” the Qatari prime minister said. “And this next phase is also temporary from our point of view,” pending a “lasting solution,” he added.

Discussions about the structure of the ISF and the countries that could participate are underway, said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. But the primary objective of this force must be “to separate the Palestinians from the Israelis,” he stressed. “That must be our main goal. Then we can address the remaining issues.”

Ankara has said it wishes to participate in the ISF, but Israel accuses it of being too close to Hamas, whose unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 triggered the war in Gaza. “I believe the only viable way to end this war is to engage sincerely and firmly in peace talks,” Fidan also said.