CAIRO: Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on Friday to discuss Gaza situation.
The aim of the meeting to mediate a de-escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip, facilitate humanitarian aid delivery, and release of Israeli hostages.
The discussions involved intensified efforts to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and ensure adequate aid for the 2.3 million besieged residents, according to a statement from President El-Sisi’s office.
In the statement, Qatar highlighted joint efforts to halt aggression against Gaza, reduce escalation, and provide urgent humanitarian aid.
The emir’s visit followed a meeting between Qatar’s prime minister and the heads of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Israeli spy agency Mossad in Doha, focusing on a potential deal for a hostage release and a pause in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Both Egypt and Qatar have been engaged in negotiations, including aid provision and evacuations, to address the crisis. Evacuations through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing resumed on Thursday after a temporary halt.
On Thursday, the United Nations said that limited (65) aid truck entries into Gaza from Egypt, much insufficient to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The United States announced Israel’s agreement to daily four-hour cease-fire pauses in northern Gaza and the operation of corridors for civilian movement southward, although hostilities continued.
