Hamas and Israel urged to work on lasting peace

Qatar’s prime minister said on Tuesday that a lasting peace in Gaza would depend on Israel and Hamas acting in “good faith,” days into a fragile truce in the Palestinian territory mediated by Qatar.

“If they are embarking in this in good faith, this will last and hopefully will lead to phase two, will lead to a permanent ceasefire,” Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al Thani told the World Economic Forum in Davos.

He said in Davos on Tuesday he hoped the Palestinian Authority would return to play a governing role in Gaza once the war with Israel comes to an end.

Sheikh Mohammed cautioned that Gazans - and not any other country - should dictate the way the enclave will be governed.

“We hope to see the PA back in Gaza. We hope to see a government that will really address the issues of the people over there. And there is a long way to go with Gaza and the destruction,” he said.

US President Donald Trump, who had claimed credit for the agreement, said he was “not confident” it would hold.

Palestinians gather near trucks carrying aid, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah on Tuesday. Reuters

Sheikh Mohammed told the Davos audience that Trump’s “whole notion of making America great again is something very important, and we believe that also we want to see the Middle East great again.”

UAE BAKERY SUPPORT: The United Arab Emirates continues its humanitarian efforts in Gaza through “Operation Chivalrous Knight 3” to address the critical humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

The ‘Subsidised Bread’ project supports the operation of 14 bakeries in Khan Younis and Central Gaza by providing essential ingredients and wheat flour to produce and distribute bread daily to citizens and displaced individuals, contributing to food security amidst the acute wheat shortage.

Hamad Al Neyadi, Head of the UAE Relief Mission, affirmed that this support aligns with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to support Gaza’s residents in overcoming difficult living conditions and meeting their basic needs.

PALESTINIAN STATE: UK premier Keir Starmer told Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday that any peace process in the Middle East should pave the way for a Palestinian state, Downing Street said.

The two leaders held a call that focused on the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a UK government spokesperson said.

Murad Muqdad (centre) stands amid the rubble of his destroyed home in Rafah, Gaza, on Tuesday. AP

During the conversation, “both agreed that we must work towards a permanent and peaceful solution that guarantees Israel’s security and stability,” the British readout of the call added.

“The prime minister added that the UK stands ready to do everything it can to support a political process, which should also lead to a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.”

Starmer also “reiterated that it was vital to ensure humanitarian aid can now flow uninterrupted into Gaza, to support the Palestinians who desperately need it”, the statement added.

Starmer “offered his personal thanks for the work done by the Israeli government to secure the release of the hostages, including British hostage Emily Damari”, the statement added.

“To see the pictures of Emily finally back in her family’s arms was a wonderful moment but a reminder of the human cost of the conflict,” Starmer added, according to the statement.

JENIN OPERATION: The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had launched an operation in the occupied West Bank’s Jenin that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said aimed to “eradicate terrorism” in the area.

The Palestinian health ministry, based in Ramallah, said the operation had killed nine people, just days after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Israel’s top general resigned on Tuesday, taking responsibility for security failures tied to Hamas’ surprise attack that triggered the war in Gaza and adding to pressure on Netanyahu, who has delayed any public inquiry that could potentially implicate his leadership.

Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi is the most senior Israeli figure to resign over the security and intelligence breakdown on Oct.7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas fighters carried out a land, sea and air assault into southern Israel, rampaging through army bases and nearby communities.

Agencies