NEW YORK: Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has said that the latest breach of the Gaza ceasefire was triggered by a violation from the Palestinian side, referring to an attack that killed an Israeli soldier in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Tuesday.
Speaking during a session at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York, the Qatari premier told interviewer Ayman Mohyeldin that the incident undermined ongoing mediation efforts aimed at stabilizing the fragile truce.
The attack on the Israeli soldiers was basically a violation by the Palestinian party, Sheikh Mohammed said, adding that while Hamas claimed it was not in contact with the group responsible, there was “no verification if this is true or not.
Following the Rafah incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered what he called powerful retaliatory strikes on Gaza. According to Al Jazeera, citing Gaza’s Health Ministry, 104 Palestinians mostly women and children were killed in the Israeli bombardment.
Israel said its strikes targeted senior Hamas operatives and claimed to have eliminated “dozens” of fighters before announcing a resumption of the ceasefire by mid-Wednesday.
Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States, has been playing a central role in brokering and maintaining truces between Israel and Hamas since the conflict reignited in October.
We’ve been engaging intensively with both parties to ensure that the ceasefire holds, Sheikh Mohammed said. The US engagement, of course, was key in that. And I believe that what happened yesterday was a violation.
The Qatari leader also revealed that discussions with Hamas had included demands to avoid delaying the transfer of bodies a clause he described as part of the agreed commitments under the ceasefire terms. We made it very clear that this is part of the commitment that needed to be fulfilled, he added.
Reflecting on the broader mediation process, Sheikh Mohammed acknowledged the numerous challenges faced by Qatar and its partners in sustaining peace efforts since the October 7 attacks.
Since the beginning of this crisis, we have faced many obstacles. It wasn’t an easy road, he said. “We tried our best to navigate through these challenges and to achieve the first, second, and now the current ceasefire which we hope will last.
He described the latest developments as very disappointing and frustrating, but stressed that Doha was working swiftly with Washington to prevent further escalation. We mobilized right away after this, in full coordination with the United States, Sheikh Mohammed said. We’ve seen that the US is also fully committed to the deal.
The temporary ceasefire, negotiated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, has been repeatedly tested by mutual violations and retaliatory actions. The truce had enabled limited humanitarian aid deliveries and prisoner exchanges, but Tuesday’s violence risked derailing the fragile agreement once again.
International observers warn that the situation remains precarious, with both sides accusing each other of breaching terms, while Qatar continues to act as the principal mediator in efforts to stabilize Gaza and prevent a broader regional escalation.