Qatar’s PM says Israeli ceasefire violations put entire Gaza process in ‘jeopardy’ Gaza News

Qatar’s prime minister has warned that daily Israeli violations of the Gaza ceasefire are threatening the entire agreement, as he called for urgent progress towards the next phase of a deal to end Israel’s genocidal war on the besieged Palestinian territory.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani made the appeal after talks with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Wednesday.

He stressed that “delays and ceasefire violations jeopardise the entire process and put the mediators in a difficult position.”

Qatar’s prime minister, whose country has played a key mediation role, said humanitarian aid should reach Gaza “unconditionally” and that the second phase of the agreement should begin immediately.

The discussions at the seventh US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue came as a fragile ceasefire continues amid a deepening humanitarian emergency in Gaza.

Israel is continuously violating the ceasefire.

Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, Israel has violated the agreement at least 738 times, killing at least 394 Palestinians and injuring 1,075 others, according to Al Jazeera’s tracking of violations.

Al Jazeera’s chief US correspondent, Alan Fisher, said three important issues dominated the talks.

Increasing pressure on Israel to stop ceasefire violations, mostly committed by Israeli forces, was the primary issue, he said.

Discussions also focused on creating an International Stabilisation Force (ISF), which is expected to include Indonesian and Turkish troops.

Although Israel has objected to Turkey’s involvement and Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis, Qatar is urging Washington to pressure Israel to allow more aid.

Ceasefire violations reached a critical point over the weekend when Israel killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saad in Gaza City.

US President Donald Trump told reporters that his administration was “investigating” whether the attack violated the ceasefire.

While US officials told the US outlet Axios that the White House had strongly rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning him not to “ruin President Trump’s reputation after making the deal.”

There is a lot of suffering due to bad weather in Gaza

The humanitarian situation has worsened as winter storms ravage the region, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sheltering in flimsy makeshift tents or in unsafe, bombed-out buildings.

The situation is further complicated by Israel’s refusal to allow vital supplies, including mobile homes, into Gaza.

According to the government media office, aid delivery is severely restricted, with only 39 per cent of allocated trucks reaching their destinations inside the enclave. Israel has banned nutritious foods while allowing non-essential items to enter.

Om The 29-day-old premature baby, Assad Abedin, died of severe hypothermia in the Al Mawasi area of ​​Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday, according to Nasser Hospital.

His passing brings the death toll from the extreme weather to 13.

A two-week-old baby, Mohammed Khalil Abu al-Khair, also died earlier this week after freezing to death due to severe hypothermia.

The United Nations reports that about 30,000 children have been affected by damage to their shelters from the storm, while Israel is blocking essential winter supplies, including tents and blankets, from entering Gaza.

Hamas Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya said Sunday that Israel’s continued violations “threaten the viability of the agreement” and urged Trump to force Israel to honour its commitments.

However, Netanyahu defended Saad’s killing and accused Hamas of violating the peace plan by attempting to withdraw.

The second phase of the US-backed ceasefire envisions Hamas disarming while Israeli forces withdraw and an international force is deployed.

Both issues are proving more complex than the first phase, which primarily focused on prisoner and detainee exchanges.

Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel was “near the end of the first phase” of the ceasefire agreement and was working intensively to secure the return of the remains of Master Sergeant Ran Gwili, the last deceased detainee captured in Gaza.

Israel has returned the bodies of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many of which bear signs of torture, mutilation, and execution.

Testimony from released Palestinian prisoners, as well as the condition of the bodies handed over, has underlined Israeli abuses.