Rafah strikes could 'hinder' Gaza truce talks: Mediator Qatar
Qatar, alongside the United States and Egypt, has been engaged in months of talks aimed at securing a truce deal between Israel and Hamas.
Children stand by rubble near the exposed ceiling of a basement in a mosque that was destroyed during Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on 14 February 2024. Picture: AFP
DOHA - Israel's latest strikes on a displaced people's camp near Gaza's southern city of Rafah could hinder talks towards a truce and hostage release deal, mediator nation Qatar said on Monday.
The foreign ministry voiced "concern that the bombing will complicate ongoing mediation efforts and hinder reaching an agreement for an immediate and permanent ceasefire".
Qatar, alongside the United States and Egypt, has been engaged in months of talks aimed at securing a truce deal between Israel and Hamas in the devastated Gaza Strip.
But behind-the-scenes negotiations reached a stalemate earlier this month as Israel sent ground forces into Rafah.
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Qatar, which has hosted Hamas's political leadership since 2012 with the blessing of the United States, condemned the Israeli bombing as a "dangerous violation of international law".
The foreign ministry called on the international community to act urgently to prevent Israel from "implementing its plans to forcibly displace (Palestinians) from the city, which has become a final refuge for hundreds of thousands" of people.
Saudi Arabia said it condemned "in the strongest terms the continued massacres committed by Israeli occupation forces".
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In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry called on the international community "to intervene immediately to halt the massacres" committed by the Israeli military.
Kuwait's foreign ministry also decried the Israeli attack on the camp housing displaced Palestinians near Rafah, saying it exposed Israel's "blatant war crimes and unprecedented genocide to the whole world".
The Gulf monarchy called for "immediate and firm intervention by the international community".