Politics

Qatari PM in Washington amid Gaza truce efforts

Cairo, Mar 4 (EFE).- Qatari Prime Minister Mohamed bin Abderrahman Al Thani arrived in Washington on Monday to meet US State Secretary Antony Blinken amid efforts by both countries to reach a truce in Gaza.

Al Thani is heading the “Qatari delegation in the sixth round of the Qatar-US strategic dialogue, which will be held tomorrow (Mar. 5),” foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al Ansari said on social media platform X.Al Tani will begin the dialogue, which includes “12 sessions in various fields of cooperation between the two countries,” with a meeting with Blinken on Tuesday.

The Qatar-US strategic dialogue was founded in 2018 to jointly coordinate regional and global issues and strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas of health, humanitarian aid, human rights, climate change and trade, among others.

This visit comes at a crucial time for both countries, which are mediators in the Israel-Hamas war, as negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza are underway.On Sunday, delegations from Hamas, Qatar, and the US met in Cairo to forge a truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group before Ramadan, set to commence on Mar. 10.

The talks come amidst a mounting death toll in Gaza, which has surpassed 30,200 since the Israeli military offensive began after Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, which killed nearly 1,200 people.

According to the US, Israel has “more or less” accepted a proposed six-week ceasefire in Gaza, while Hamas is yet to agree to a “defined category of vulnerable hostages.”

The six-week ceasefire would allow the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, as well as an increase in humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave. EFE

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