Qatari PM, UN Secretary-General discuss possibilities for Gaza Strip de-escalation
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Doha, where he met with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, TASS reports
As reported by the QNA news agency, during the meeting the parties discussed the possibilities of de-escalating the armed conflict between Israel and the radical Palestinian movement Hamas. The Qatari PM, in particular, urged the UN Secretary General to intensify efforts aimed at maintaining the operation of humanitarian corridors and delivering aid to the Gaza Strip residents. The PM condemned Israel’s indiscriminate attacks on the enclave, ‘warning of the danger of a ground operation’ for civilians and hostages held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Guterres thanked the Qatari authorities for mediating the process of freeing the hostages. “I expressed my deep gratitude, appreciation and support for Qatar’s mediation initiatives, including those aimed at the release of hostages held in Gaza,” the UN Chief said in a statement released by his official representative.
On October 20th, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the militant wing of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, announced the release of two US citizens through the mediation of Qatar. On October 23rd, the group released two more hostages: Israelis Nurit Yitzhak and Yocheved Lifshitz. A statement from a representative of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigade said that the authorities of Egypt and Qatar participated in the process of liberating Yitzhak and Lifshitz.
The Israel Defence Forces has information that Hamas is holding 229 people hostage. According to the Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov, there are presumably three Russian citizens among the hostages.
