DOHA, Qatar — On Saturday, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani emphasized that the Gaza ceasefire has reached a "critical moment" as the first phase approaches its conclusion. He highlighted that only one Israeli hostage remains in the hands of militants in Gaza. Speaking at the Doha Forum, Sheikh Mohammed remarked that international mediators, particularly the United States, are striving "to force the way forward" towards the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Sheikh Mohammed stated, "What we have just done is a pause. We cannot consider it yet a ceasefire." He elaborated that a ceasefire would only be complete with a full withdrawal of Israeli forces and restored stability in Gaza, which he noted is not currently the case.
Despite the ceasefire halting significant fighting in the ongoing two-year conflict, Gaza health officials report that over 360 Palestinians have been killed since the truce started in October. Recent violence has also been reported, including an Israeli airstrike that killed two Palestinians northwest of Gaza City, according to Shifa Hospital.
The Israeli army responded by confirming several attacks on Palestinians attempting to cross ceasefire lines into Israeli-controlled territory in Gaza. The first phase of the U.S. President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan took effect on October 10, when fighting ceased, leading to an exchange of dozens of hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. Israel has since sought to negotiate the return of the last Israeli hostage through discussions in Egypt.
The subsequent phase, which has yet to commence, includes deploying an international security force in Gaza, establishing a new technocratic government for the territory, disarming Hamas, and facilitating a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Arab and Western officials shared insights with the Associated Press, revealing that an international body to oversee the ceasefire—potentially led by Trump himself—is expected to be named by year-end. This long-term strategy also aims to outline a possible "pathway" to Palestinian independence.
However, Sheikh Mohammed remarked that even the next phase should be seen as "temporary," stressing that sustainable peace in the region can only be achieved with the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state, a notion currently opposed by Israel's hardline government. He stated, "If we are just resolving what happened in Gaza, the catastrophe that happened in the last two years, it’s not enough." He emphasized that this conflict encompasses more than just Gaza, including the West Bank and the Palestinians' rights to their own state.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan voiced concerns about the formation of the proposed international security force for Gaza, expressing uncertainty about which countries might participate, the command structure, and the objectives of the force’s initial mission. Although Turkey is one of the "guarantors" of the ceasefire, Israel has rejected any Turkish involvement due to their historically strained relations.
The war, which erupted on October 7, 2023, was instigated by attacks from Hamas-led militants on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and over 250 hostages taken. In retaliation, Israel launched an offensive that has reportedly claimed over 70,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. This ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant casualties, but states that nearly half of the deceased are women and children. The ministry is aligned with Gaza's Hamas government and its reported figures have been acknowledged as credible by the United Nations and other international organizations. Israel, however, accuses Hamas of employing civilians as human shields.
