Gaza ceasefire in peril as Israel’s non-compliance sparks diplomatic crisis with Qatar

Qatar has issued a stark warning to Israel that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct is jeopardising the current hostage deal, as mounting evidence reveals multiple violations of the ceasefire violations by the occupation state.

According to Haaretz, Qatar has conveyed “angry messages” to Israel after Netanyahu’s controversial statements about ethnically cleansing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and his failure to send a high-level delegation to Doha for negotiations. The Qataris emphasised that their role is guarantors of the agreement and they are not merely intermediaries between Israel and Hamas.

Israel’s violations of the ceasefire terms are extensive and well-documented. The agreed humanitarian aid target of 12,000 trucks has fallen dramatically short, with only 8,500 reaching Gaza. The shelter crisis continues as Israel has delivered just 10 per cent of the promised 200,000 tents, while none of the pledged 60,000 mobile homes have materialised.

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The medical evacuation programme has largely failed, with only 120 patients permitted to leave Gaza instead of the anticipated 1,000. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports ongoing Palestinian casualties during the ceasefire period, while Israel continues to block both the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza and the entry of essential equipment needed for the removal of debris and the recovery of dead bodies. At least 48,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel, mainly women and children, and thousands more are missing, believed dead, under the rubble.

Israel’s violations of the ceasefire agreement have been confirmed by three Israeli officials and two mediators. Speaking anonymously to the New York Times they said that Hamas’s claims about Israel’s non-compliance with the agreement terms were accurate.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry has taken the unusual step of publicly condemning Netanyahu’s recent television interview proposing the transfer of Gaza’s Palestinian population to Saudi Arabia, describing it as “a flagrant violation of international law.” The diplomatic crisis deepens as Hamas threatens to pause the implementation of the agreement which in turn has been met with threats by US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu.

US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to visit the region, including stops in Israel and Doha, to assess the deteriorating situation first hand. Sources suggest that without swift progress in negotiations for the second stage, further delays in hostage releases could lead to a complete collapse of the agreement’s first phase.

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