QATAR -UNS: Qatar’s prime minister said on Wednesday there was some progress on hostage negotiations after Hamas that has abducted over 200 hostages during its October 7 attack in southern Israel.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who is also the minister of foreign affairs, said at a press conference with his Turkish counterpart that he hoped there would be breakthroughs on hostage releases “soon”.
Qatar has had an open dialogue with both Israel and Hamas, which has brought about the release of four hostages held by Hamas, including two Israeli women on Monday.
The Gulf state, in coordination with the US, is leading mediation talks with Hamas and Israeli officials over the hostages’ release as Israel prepares a ground assault on the enclave.
Speaking in Doha, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said an Israeli ground operation into Gaza would turn the fighting there into a massacre.
Fidan said that those supporting Israel’s actions under the pretence of solidarity were “accomplices to its crimes”.
More than 5,700 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, have been martyred across the Gaza Strip in Israeli strikes, according to Gaza health officials.
The ministry put Tuesday’s toll at more than 700 people, with the UN saying it was the highest reported in a single day since the war began.
Overnight, at least 80 people were martyred, the Hamas government said on Wednesday.
The Israeli military has bombed entire neighbourhoods in the blockaded territory in response to unprecedented Hamas attacks inside Israel on October 7 that killed at least 1,400 people.
UN chief alarmed over ‘violations’ of law
The statement by the Qatari PM came after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lashed out at Israel for violating international humanitarian law as a senior doctor in the besieged territory said that Israel of using new “deadly weapons” against the civilians in Gaza.
Opening an important UNSC session, Guterres said there was no excuse for the “appalling” violence by Hamas on October 7 but also warned against “collective punishment” of the Palestinians.
“I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law,” Guterres said, without explicitly naming Israel.
