![Qatar Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Dr Majed Al-Ansari in Doha, Qatar on 27 March, 2022 [Mohammed Dabbous/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/GettyImages-1239544599-scaled-e1696428659733.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Qatar said today that mediation efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire are ongoing “despite the difficult situation.”
“The Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediation is focused on ending the catastrophic war in Gaza,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari told a news briefing in Doha, without providing specific details.
He said previous mediation efforts “have led to the release of more hostages than what was achieved through military operations.”
The Qatari spokesman rejected the use of humanitarian aid in Gaza as a bargaining chip.
“Israel’s policy of using aid as a weapon must be stopped,” he said, calling for international pressure to secure access to humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
Israel completely closed all crossings into Gaza on 2 March, banning the entry of food, water and fuel.
The Israeli occupation army then resumed its assault on Gaza on 18 March, shattering a 19 January ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.
Israel has killed more than 52,600 Palestinians in the enclave since October 2023, most of them women and children.
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