Qatar's emir, head of European Commission discuss Gaza developments

DOHA, Qatar

In a phone call, Qatar's emir on Wednesday discussed ongoing developments in the Gaza Strip with the European Commission president.

Tamim bin Hamad Amir Tamim and Ursula von der Leyen reviewed cooperation efforts between Qatar and the EU, the Amiri Diwan of Qatar said in a statement.

The parties exchanged views on international and regional developments, especially in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, the statement added.

The call comes after Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majid Al Ansari confirmed on Tuesday that Doha will continue its efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip between Hamas and Israel.

Recent days saw marathon talks mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US to reach a cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which started this week.

The talks, however, failed to make any breakthrough as Tel Aviv rejected demands by Hamas to end Israel’s deadly offensive on Gaza and withdraw from the enclave in return for any agreement.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by the Palestinian group Hamas in which nearly 1,200 people were killed.

More than 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 73,000 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 27 people have died of malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza due to the Israeli blockade.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul