Qatar, Spain call for immediate Gaza truce

HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani and the Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez addressed a joint press conference in Doha Wednesday.

HE the Prime Minister of Qatar said that he discussed with the Spanish prime minister various key topics of mutual interest related to the development of bilateral relations and the war on Gaza and the situation in the region.

Both Qatar and Spain agreed on the imminent need to end the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people as the causalities among the civilian population in Gaza has crossed all the limits, he said. Sheikh Mohamed slammed in particular the Israeli air strikes on the World Central Kitchen aid workers.

HE Sheikh Mohamed said that the Qatar-Spain relations have seen considerable development since 1972, with remarkable development in investments, energy, trade and economic cooperation.

He said that Qatar will continue its efforts alongside Egypt and other partners to reach a settlement and release all captives alongside the Palestinian detainees. He also stressed that Qatar is not part of the conflict and does not have the power to take decisions.

Sanchez thanked Qatar for its sincere and ongoing efforts to end the Gaza conflict. He also called on the Prime Minister of Israel to respect the rules of the International Humanitarian Law.

The Spanish prime minister said the response of his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to an air strike that killed seven aid workers was "insufficient" and "unacceptable".

"We are waiting for a much more detailed clarification of what the causes have been, bearing in mind that the Israeli government knew about the actions and the itinerary of this NGO on the ground in Gaza," Sanchez told the news conference at the end of a three-nation tour of the Middle East.

Sanchez has been one of the most critical voices in Europe over the way Israel has conducted its military campaign in Gaza.

He has repeatedly said the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the recognition of two states, Israel and Palestine.

Sanchez said Wednesday that Spain would recognise Palestinian statehood "as soon as possible, when the conditions are right and in such a way that this decision will have the most positive impact possible".

He stressed that Spain is calling for an international conference to discuss the two-state solution and get the Palestinians and Israelis to recognise each other to maintain peace, stability and security in the region.

He also stressed the importance of the strategic relations between Qatar and Spain, as Qatar plays a key role in the sector of energy security for Spain and there are strong investments between the two countries with various major Spanish companies undertaking key roles in Qatar's development.

He also praised Qatar's efforts in promoting the role of women in the local society. He noted that during his visit to Doha he has met a number of Qatari women who have undertaken major roles in business, economy, sports, diplomacy and other fields, contributing to the overall development of the country.

Sanchez began his Middle East tour in Jordan on Monday, before travelling to Saudi Arabia then Qatar.