Qatar vows to continue its role toward Palestinians after Gaza ceasefire

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman affirmed Friday that his country will continue its humanitarian and diplomatic role toward the Palestinians.

His comments came as the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas entered into force as of 12 noon local time Friday (0900 GMT), following mediation efforts led by Türkiye, Qatar, Egypt, and the US.

"As the first phase of the ceasefire agreement comes into force, we affirm that Qatar will spare no effort in a manner that reflects its humanitarian, historical, and diplomatic duty toward the Palestinian brothers and the region," he said on the US social media company X.

"The success of this phase is a collective responsibility to ensure the implementation of the agreement and the achievement of peace and stability."

The Israeli army began phase one of its gradual troop withdrawal from Gaza on Friday and will complete its pullout to the locations specified in US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the Palestinian enclave within 24 hours, according to Israeli media.

Under the plan, Israel will release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 detained in Gaza since October 2023 in exchange for all Israeli hostages held by Hamas.