Qatar PM Calls Israel's Attack On Rafah Makes Gaza's Armistice Talks Experience Resilience

Israeli military land operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - Talks about a ceasefire in Gaza were deadlocked and experienced setbacks, as Israeli attacks on Rafah, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said on Tuesday.

Israeli tanks moved further into the eastern Rafah, reaching several residential districts on Tuesday, increasing attacks on the city where more than one million people took refuge after being refugees for seven months of war.

"Moreover, in the last few weeks, we have seen some of the momentum that was awakened but unfortunately, things are not going in the right direction and at the moment we are in a near dead end. Of course, what happened to Rafah made us step back," Sheikh Mohammed said at the economic forum in Doha., reported Reuters May 14.

Israel's operations in Rafah, which began this month, led to the closure of major crossings of aid from the border with Egypt, an action that humanitarian groups say has exacerbated the already dire situation.

Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar would continue to try to resolve the situation. Doha is known to have repeatedly mediated between the Hamas militant group and Israel in the seven-month conflict.

"We make it clear to everyone, our job is limited to mediation," he said.

"That's what we're going to do, that's what we're going to keep doing," he said.

Sheikh Mohammed revealed that the fundamental difference between the two sides was regarding the release of hostages and ending the war.

"There is one party who wants to end the war and then discuss the hostages and there are other parties who want the hostages and want to continue the war. As long as there is no similarity between the two things, then we will not get results," said Sheikh Mohammed.

Sheikh Mohammed warned, even if the war stops, without a clear rescue plan in Gaza, there is a risk of increased radicalization in the medium term.

"We are very worried after all these pictures see another wave of radicalization. So, security is the key for us in this area. We need to keep it as much as possible," he said.

The conflict in Gaza broke out after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, leaving about 1,200 people dead and 252 others kidnapped, 133 of which are believed to be still being carried out in Gaza, according to Israeli tallies, which then bombarded and blockaded Gaza.

Meanwhile, health sources in Gaza said at least 82 people were killed and 234 others injured in Gaza as a result of Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours, quoted from WAFA.

That brings the death toll of Palestinians as a result of Israeli aggression that has reached 35,173 people, while the injured to around 79,061 people.