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Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, has said the current ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will remain incomplete unless Israeli troops fully withdraw from Palestinian territory, as outlined in a peace plan supported by the United States and the United Nations.
Speaking on Saturday at the Doha Forum, an annual international conference in the Qatari capital, Sheikh Abdulrahman Al Thani described the moment as critical, insisting that stability in Gaza cannot be achieved. At the same time, Israeli forces remain on the ground.
Qatar, working alongside the United States and Egypt, brokered the truce that came into force on October 10 and has largely brought an end to nearly two years of fighting between Israel and Hamas.
However, the second phase of the agreement, which is yet to be implemented, includes provisions for Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the transfer of governance to an interim authority, and the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to help maintain security.
Several Arab and Muslim countries have been reluctant to commit troops to the proposed force, largely out of concern that they could be drawn into direct conflict with Palestinian militant groups.
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, said discussions were continuing but acknowledged that major questions remained over leadership, structure and which states would participate.
He stressed that the central objective of any force should be to separate the Israeli and Palestinian populations before broader political issues are addressed.
Under the peace framework first proposed by US President Donald Trump, Hamas would also be expected to disarm, with fighters who surrender their weapons offered the option of leaving Gaza.
The group has consistently rejected this demand.
Türkiye has expressed a desire to contribute to the stabilisation force, although its involvement is not welcomed by Israel, which views Ankara as too sympathetic towards Hamas.
Fidan argued that meaningful peace talks were the only realistic way to end the conflict, urging stronger diplomatic engagement to secure a long-term solution.
Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar, alongside Türkiye, Egypt and the United States, was increasing pressure to move the process into the next stage, while stressing that the current agreement could not offer a permanent fix.
He called for a lasting settlement that would deliver justice for both Palestinians and Israelis, rather than simply dealing with the consequences of the past two years of violence.
Egypt confirmed that its foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, met Sheikh Mohammed on the sidelines of the forum to discuss developments in Gaza.
Cairo said both sides reaffirmed the importance of implementing the agreement reached in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, where the ceasefire deal was finalised.
Egypt has already announced plans to train thousands of police officers for Gaza and is considered one of the potential contributors to the proposed international force.
