Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has urged all sides to seize the “momentum” to end Israel’s war in Gaza, saying a new ceasefire proposal backed by the United States and Israel addresses the most urgent humanitarian concerns.
Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed said the plan presented by US President Donald Trump, and already accepted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was passed to Hamas’s leadership for review. He noted that while there are “practical and implementation challenges,” the framework tackles the core demands set by mediators: halting the killing, stopping the displacement of Palestinians, and ensuring the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
“Everyone agreed on stopping the war, preventing displacement and the full withdrawal of the Israeli army. These are the three pivotal matters,” Sheikh Mohammed said. “And the direct responsible party for managing Gaza are the Palestinian people themselves. The main focus is how to protect the people in Gaza.”
The comments come just days after Netanyahu formally apologised to Qatar for the death of a Qatari citizen during an Israeli strike in Doha last month, an unprecedented incident that sparked global condemnation. Sheikh Mohammed received the apology during a joint call from Trump and Netanyahu on Monday at the White House.
The 20-point ceasefire plan has gained support from several Arab and Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Turkiye and Indonesia. It calls for an immediate end to attacks in Gaza once the deal is signed, with unrestricted humanitarian aid allowed into the enclave.
Turkiye has joined the Gaza mediation team in Doha, with Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari confirming close cooperation with Washington. Under the proposal, Hamas would release all Israeli captives within 72 hours, followed by Israel freeing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas would also step down from governance and disarm, with amnesty granted to its members.
The agreement outlines the deployment of an international force to oversee security temporarily and train Palestinian police, while a technocratic Palestinian committee would handle interim governance. However, details on Israel’s withdrawal remain unclear, with the plan giving Israel the right to maintain a “security perimeter” until the area is deemed secure.
Sheikh Mohammed stressed that clarifying these provisions is the responsibility of both Palestinians and Israelis, with support from the wider international community. He said any final arrangement must be backed by a legal framework under the United Nations Security Council.
Hamas has yet to give an official reply but has promised to examine the proposal seriously. Trump warned on Tuesday that the group had three to four days to respond, saying if it refused to sign on, “they would pay in hell.”
Analysts have raised concerns that the deal favors Israel, offering no firm guarantees for Palestinian security or sovereignty. Palestinian analyst Diana Buttu said, “If you read the agreement itself, there are no guarantees provided to the Palestinians, not a single guarantee. All guarantees are provided to the Israelis.”
Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies warned that Israel retains the option to restart hostilities whenever it chooses. “There is every indication that if, at any point, Israel decides that it wants to go back to the war, it will do so,” she said.
The renewed diplomatic push comes as Israeli forces intensify operations in Gaza City, targeting what they describe as Hamas’s remaining strongholds. Nearly two years into the war, the toll has been devastating. Since October 7, 2023, Israeli attacks have killed 66,097 Palestinians and injured 168,536, while restrictions on aid have worsened malnutrition, leading to 453 reported hunger-related deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
