Qatari PM says he’s hopeful, but there’s a long way to go in ensuring ceasefire is made permanent

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani notes that there is a “long way to go” to bring a permanent ceasefire to Gaza, but he is hopeful it can be reached.

“We are happy to see the first day of the ceasefire is starting, we are happy to see that people of Gaza are starting to get relief and we are also happy for the hostages to see them back with their families,” says Al Thani during a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“We hope that this will sustain, will continue, will hold up to the end and move to phase two and phase three and the permanent ceasefire,” says the leader of Qatar, which played a critical role in mediating the recent deal alongside the US and Egypt. He says there are mechanisms in place to address violations, and mediators will do “everything we can” to keep it in place.

“There is still a long way to go, there are still negotiations to continue for stage two,” says Al Thani. “It won’t be easy negotiations, but I hope it’s not as difficult as what we have been through,” he says, noting more than a year of stopped and started talks since the collapse of the last ceasefire in November 2023.

“We are hopeful that now the calculations can be different, and everyone will feel responsible to put an end to it,” he adds.