From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 17, 2025
Qatari PM: If Trump’s approach to region continues, the future will be bright
The ceasefire and hostage release deal is “the last chance for Gaza,” Qatar’s prime minister tells Sky News in an interview.
“What we have reached with this deal is the last chance for Gaza. To save Gaza from this war this is our last chance,” Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani says.
“When we talk about peace in general, peace won’t happen without a Palestinian state at the end of the day. To address the root cause of the issue and not to just address the symptoms of the issue,” he says.
“Failure is not an option. That’s what all of us should aspire to,” Al Thani continues. “If it fails we will not give up we will make sure it is rehashed again and the parties are adhering to that.”
Sky says that he criticized both Israel and Hamas for taking so long to reach a deal, claiming the deal reached this week was on the table in December 2023. The US has said it is the proposal from May 2024. The Qatari premier did not elaborate.
Looking to further boost Qatar’s standing in the eyes of US President-elect Donald Trump, Al Thani says that he could “create a greater impact for the region.”
“I believe if this continues to be the attitude and approach for the next four years, we can create a lot of good things for the region,” he says of Trump’s help in securing this week’s deal.
The Times of Israel Community.