Latest news with #Majedal-Ansari
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
‘Window of opportunity'
AFP | Doha Qatar urges Israel, Hamas to work towards truce Gaza mediators are engaging with Israel and Hamas to build on momentum from this week's ceasefire with Iran and work towards a truce in the Palestinian territory, Qatar foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said. Israel and Iran on Tuesday agreed to a ceasefire brokered by the United States and Qatar just hours after the Islamic republic launched a salvo of missiles towards the wealthy Gulf state, targeting the American military base hosted there. The unprecedented attack on Qatari soil followed Washington's intervention into a dayslong war between Israel and Iran which saw US warplanes strike Iranian nuclear facilities, prompting promises of retaliation from Tehran. In an interview with AFP on Friday, Ansari said Doha -- with fellow Gaza mediators in Washington and Cairo -- was now "trying to use the momentum that was created by the ceasefire between Iran and Israel to restart the talks over Gaza". "If we don't utilise this window of opportunity and this momentum, it's an opportunity lost amongst many in the near past. We don't want to see that again," the spokesman, who is also an adviser to Qatar's prime minister, said. US President Donald Trump voiced optimism on Friday about a new ceasefire in Gaza saying an agreement involving Israel and Hamas could come as early as next week. Mediators have been engaged in months of back-and-forth negotiations with the warring parties aimed at ending 20 months of war in Gaza, with Ansari explaining there were no current talks between the sides but that Qatar was "heavily involved in talking to every side separately". 'The right pressure' A two-month truce, which was agreed as Trump came into office in January, collapsed in March with Israel intensifying military operations in Gaza afterwards. "We have seen US pressure and what it can accomplish," Ansari said referring to the January truce which saw dozens of hostages held by Hamas released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The Qatari official said particularly in the context of US enforcement of the Israel-Iran truce, it was "not a far-fetched idea" that pressure from Washington would achieve a fresh truce in Gaza. "We are working with them very, very closely to make sure that the right pressure is applied from the international community as a whole, especially from the US, to see both parties at the negotiating table," Ansari said. There were no casualties on Monday when Iran targeted Al Udeid, the Middle East's biggest US base and headquarters of its regional command. Ansari said that as leaders were weighing their response to the attack, a call came from the US president to Qatar's emir, saying "there is a possibility for regional stability... and that Israel has agreed to a ceasefire". "Qatar could have taken the decision to escalate," Ansari said. "But because there was a chance for peace... we opted for that," he said.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Israel bombs residential block in Gaza City killing at least 20, including 9 children; over 81 killed in Gaza today
Israel on Saturday bombed a heavily populated residential block in Gaza City's al-Tuffah neighbourhood killing at least 20 Palestinians, including nine children. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 81 Palestinains were killed on Saturday in various attacks across Gaza, including those near the aid distribution sites of the US-backed and Israeli military-operated Gaza Human Rights Foundation (GHF). Rights groups and the UN have refused to cooperate with the GHF, slamming it as a "death trap" for Palestinians and accusing it of aiding Israel in its genocidal war on Gaza. According to Gaza's health ministry, Israel has killed more than 549 Palestinians at aid distribution sites since the GHF began operations last month. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, called the GHF an "abomination" that has put Palestinians' lives at risk, while a spokesman for the UN human rights office, Thameen Al-Kheetan, condemned the "weaponisation of food" in the territory. Meanwhile, Qatar on Saturday said that it and fellow mediators --the United States and Egypt-- were engaging with Israel and Hamas to build on momentum from the ceasefire with Iran and work towards a Gaza truce. "If we don't utilise this window of opportunity and this momentum, it's an opportunity lost amongst many in the near past. We don't want to see that again," said Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, Israel has so far killed at least 56,412 Palestinians in Gaza with more than half being women and children. Israel has also targeted and killed hundreds of journalists, health care workers and aid workers. Israel has also targeted hospitals, refugee camps, schools and residential complexes, causing mass casualties of civilians, mostly children. However, Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Friday reported the death toll to be far higher at around 100,000, which is about 4% of Gaza's entire population. The report said that in addition to the deaths from Israeli attacks, many Palestinians have lost their lives from the indirect effects of the genocidal war, such as hunger, cold and diseases amid Israel's blockade of humanitarian assistance and targeting of Gaza's health system.
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First Post
4 days ago
- Health
- First Post
Israeli strikes kill at least 49 in Gaza as ceasefire prospects inch closer
At least 49 people were killed across Gaza by Israeli strikes, health staff say, as Palestinians face a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ceasefire prospects inch closer.. read more Men cover their faces as smoke billows while first-responders attempt to extinguish a blaze following an Israeli strike at the UNRWA's Osama bin Zaid school in the Saftawi district in western Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on June 27, 2025. AFP photo At least 49 people were killed in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes late Friday and into Saturday morning, as the humanitarian crisis deepens and efforts to secure a ceasefire show renewed momentum. According to medical staff, 12 people sheltering near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City were among the dead, along with eight others who died in residential apartments. Shifa hospital in Gaza City received numerous casualties, while more than 20 bodies were brought to Nasser hospital, health officials said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, ceasefire efforts are gaining traction, with Qatar, the United States and Egypt engaging both Israel and Hamas in fresh talks. The push follows this week's ceasefire between Iran and Israel, which mediators hope to leverage into progress on Gaza. Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told AFP that Doha and its partners are 'trying to use the momentum that was created by the ceasefire between Iran and Israel to restart the talks over Gaza.' 'If we don't utilise this window of opportunity and this momentum, it's an opportunity lost amongst many in the near past,' said al-Ansari, who also serves as an adviser to Qatar's prime minister. The strikes come as US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office Friday, the president said, 'We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of.' An official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Israel's Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, will arrive in Washington next week for talks on Gaza's ceasefire, Iran and other subjects. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. Talks have been on again off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the Strip's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half of them believed to still be alive. They were part of some 250 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023, sparking the 21-month-long war. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The war has killed over 56,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. It says more than half of the dead were women and children. There is hope among hostage families that Trump's involvement in securing the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran might exert more pressure for a deal in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is riding a wave of public support for the Iran war and its achievements, and he could feel he has more space to move toward ending the war in Gaza, something his far-right governing partners oppose. Hamas has repeatedly said it is prepared to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza. Netanyahu says he will only end the war once Hamas is disarmed and exiled, something the group has rejected. With inputs from agencies
The Sun
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Qatar pushes Israel-Hamas truce talks amid Gaza ceasefire momentum
DOHA: Gaza mediators are engaging with Israel and Hamas to build on momentum from this week's ceasefire with Iran and work towards a truce in the Palestinian territory, Qatar foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said. Israel and Iran on Tuesday agreed to a ceasefire brokered by the United States and Qatar just hours after the Islamic republic launched a salvo of missiles towards the wealthy Gulf state, targeting the American military base hosted there. The unprecedented attack on Qatari soil followed Washington's intervention into a days-long war between Israel and Iran which saw US warplanes strike Iranian nuclear facilities, prompting promises of retaliation from Tehran. In an interview with AFP on Friday, Ansari said Doha -- with fellow Gaza mediators in Washington and Cairo -- was now 'trying to use the momentum that was created by the ceasefire between Iran and Israel to restart the talks over Gaza'. 'If we don't utilise this window of opportunity and this momentum, it's an opportunity lost amongst many in the near past. We don't want to see that again,' the spokesman, who is also an adviser to Qatar's prime minister, said. US President Donald Trump voiced optimism on Friday about a new ceasefire in Gaza saying an agreement involving Israel and Hamas could come as early as next week. Mediators have been engaged in months of back-and-forth negotiations with the warring parties aimed at ending 20 months of war in Gaza, with Ansari explaining there were no current talks between the sides but that Qatar was 'heavily involved in talking to every side separately'. - 'The right pressure' - A two-month truce, which was agreed as Trump came into office in January, collapsed in March with Israel intensifying military operations in Gaza afterwards. 'We have seen US pressure and what it can accomplish,' Ansari said referring to the January truce which saw dozens of hostages held by Hamas released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The Qatari official said particularly in the context of US enforcement of the Israel-Iran truce, it was 'not a far-fetched idea' that pressure from Washington would achieve a fresh truce in Gaza. 'We are working with them very, very closely to make sure that the right pressure is applied from the international community as a whole, especially from the US, to see both parties at the negotiating table,' Ansari said. There were no casualties on Monday when Iran targeted Al Udeid, the Middle East's biggest US base and headquarters of its regional command. Ansari said that as leaders were weighing their response to the attack, a call came from the US president to Qatar's emir, saying 'there is a possibility for regional stability... and that Israel has agreed to a ceasefire'. 'Qatar could have taken the decision to escalate,' Ansari said. 'But because there was a chance for peace... we opted for that,' he said.
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Qatar urges Israel, Hamas to seize truce 'opportunity'
Gaza mediators are engaging with Israel and Hamas to build on momentum from this week's ceasefire with Iran and work towards a truce in the Palestinian territory, Qatar foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said. Israel and Iran on Tuesday agreed to a ceasefire brokered by the United States and Qatar just hours after the Islamic republic launched a salvo of missiles towards the wealthy Gulf state, targeting the American military base hosted there. The unprecedented attack on Qatari soil followed Washington's intervention into a days-long war between Israel and Iran which saw US warplanes strike Iranian nuclear facilities, prompting promises of retaliation from Tehran. In an interview with AFP yesterday, Mr Ansari said Doha - with fellow Gaza mediators in Washington and Cairo - was now "trying to use the momentum that was created by the ceasefire between Iran and Israel to restart the talks over Gaza". "If we don't utilise this window of opportunity and this momentum, it's an opportunity lost amongst many in the near past. We don't want to see that again," the spokesman, who is also an adviser to Qatar's prime minister, said. US President Donald Trump voiced optimism about a new ceasefire in Gaza saying an agreement involving Israel and Hamas could come as early as next week. Mediators have been engaged in months of back-and-forth negotiations with the warring parties aimed at ending 20 months of war in Gaza, with Mr Ansari explaining there were no current talks between the sides but that Qatar was "heavily involved in talking to every side separately". 'The right pressure' A two-month truce, which was agreed as Mr Trump came into office in January, collapsed in March with Israel intensifying military operations in Gaza afterwards. "We have seen US pressure and what it can accomplish," Mr Ansari said referring to the January truce which saw dozens of hostages held by Hamas released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The Qatari official said particularly in the context of US enforcement of the Israel-Iran truce, it was "not a far-fetched idea" that pressure from Washington would achieve a fresh truce in Gaza. "We are working with them very, very closely to make sure that the right pressure is applied from the international community as a whole, especially from the US, to see both parties at the negotiating table," Mr Ansari said. There were no casualties on Monday when Iran targeted Al Udeid, the Middle East's biggest US base and headquarters of its regional command. Mr Ansari said that as leaders were weighing their response to the attack, a call came from the US president to Qatar's emir, saying "there is a possibility for regional stability... and that Israel has agreed to a ceasefire". "Qatar could have taken the decision to escalate," Mr Ansari said. "But because there was a chance for peace... we opted for that," he said.
