Egypt, Qatar discuss efforts to stabilize Gaza ceasefire despite Israeli attacks

CAIRO, Egypt

The top diplomats of Egypt and Qatar discussed efforts to stabilize a Gaza ceasefire agreement and implement its three phases, despite Israeli airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave.

This came in a phone call held Wednesday evening between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

The two officials exchanged views on the latest developments in Gaza and joint efforts to stabilize the ceasefire agreement and ensure the implementation of its three phases, an Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement.

They also agreed to continue joint coordination to contain escalating regional tensions and work to launch a political settlement that ensures sustainable regional stability through the establishment of a Palestinian state as a final solution to the conflict, he added.

Abdelatty and Sheikh Mohammed also discussed efforts to promote an Arab-Islamic plan for Gaza reconstruction, and mobilize support for its implementation.

An Arab summit and Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting approved a comprehensive Arab plan earlier this month to rebuild Gaza without displacing its Palestinian residents. The plan is expected to take five years to complete, with an estimated cost of around $53 billion.

The Arab proposal came in response to US President Donald Trump's plan to "take over" Gaza and resettle Palestinians to turn the territory into a tourist destination, an idea rejected by the Arab world and many other nations, who said it amounts to ethnic cleansing.

More than 500 Palestinians were killed and hundreds injured in renewed Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since Tuesday, shattering the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

Nearly 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 112,000 injured in a brutal Israeli military campaign in Gaza since October 2023.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.