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Foreign ministers of some Muslim countries will meet in Istanbul on Monday to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and next steps there, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday, voicing concern over whether the ceasefire will continue.Speaking at a press conference in Ankara, Fidan said the gathering would include foreign ministers of countries represented at a meeting with US President Donald Trump in New York in September.That meeting, to discuss the situation in Gaza, was attended by Turkiye, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia."The topics being discussed currently are how to proceed to the second stage, the stability force," Fidan said.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted last week at his opposition to any role for Turkish security forces in the Gaza Strip as part of a mission to monitor a US-backed ceasefire with Hamas.

His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said that everyone has been following over the past twenty-four hours the challenges in Gaza and the violations that have occurred to the ceasefire agreement, adding that what happened yesterday was a major event that drew the attention of the media, but in reality, this was something expected during the ceasefire period, and it is something they have witnessed in their previous experiences with ceasefire agreements.His Excellency said, during a session on the State of Qatar's regional and international role and its joint mediation efforts to end the war on the Gaza Strip, organized by the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, that they have been engaging with both parties to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire, and the American engagement has, of course, been an essential element in this. He believe that what happened yesterday constitutes a violation, and they expect there would be a reaction to it, adding that fortunately, all the main parties recognize the need to preserve the ceasefire and adhere to the agreement.His Excellency affirmed that what happened yesterday in Gaza was disappointing and deeply frustrating, stressing that they are trying to contain it and immediately mobilized their efforts afterward, in full coordination with the United States. He pointed out that they have seen that the United States is also committed to the agreement.HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the need to ensure that Palestinians live in safety, as well as Israelis, adding that the main objective of the disarmament process, is to end armed activity, create a political horizon for the Palestinian people, and establish a unified Palestinian entity that is the sole legitimate authority to bear arms.His Excellency stressed the importance of addressing the core issue and the root causes of the conflict itself, noting in this regard that they must create a political horizon and an appropriate political environment for both Palestinians and Israelis that enables them to reach an understanding and agreement on coexistence. This is what they are striving for, he said, stressing that they are seeking a two-state solution that puts an end to the suffering of both sides.Regarding the treacherous Israeli attack on the State of Qatar, His Excellency said this attack was shocking, adding it was not only shocking for them in Qatar, but for the entire world. If you look at where and how the attack took place, you will find that it occurred in a well-known residential neighborhood where negotiations usually take place, surrounded by schools, embassies, and other buildings, he explained, adding that the psychological impact of this attack on the Qatari people was very significant. He stressed that they still bear the responsibility as a state to protect citizens and ensure there are adequate security guarantees for them, in addition to ensuring that Qatar's role continues to have impact in ending the conflict and remains unaffected. He pointed out that Qatar has always taken the high road and consistently chosen diplomacy over any other option.His Excellency added that they have used all legal and diplomatic channels to ensure that this attack is not repeated and to protect Qatar and its people, after which they resumed the negotiations. What many people do not know is that the day after the attack, when His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani was speaking with the President of the United States of America Donald Trump, the President noted that this could represent an opportunity to put an end to the war in Gaza. His Highness the Amir was very optimistic about this possibility. Despite all the communication with the Israeli side at that time, Qatar remained engaged with the United States to ensure a resolution was reached, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said.His Excellency stated that they deeply value and appreciate the relationship that binds the State of Qatar and the United States, adding that the President, the Vice President, and the Secretary of State affirmed that they had no prior knowledge of the attack. His Excellency said that they respect what the US said and understand that this decision was made solely by the Israelis, but the idea that an ongoing mediation effort would be targeted in itself feels like a betrayal. On the very day of the attack, negotiations between Colombia and other parties were taking place only a few hundred meters from the site, as well as talks between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.His Excellency went on to say that the occurrence of this attack in Qatar, on Sept. 9, shocked the world. For a country engaged in so many mediation efforts to come under attack was something no one could have imagined, he said, adding that he believes the American side felt the same shock, and the President personally assured that he would not allow such an event to happen again, and that he would ensure all the security guarantees Qatar needs to continue its role."His Excellency added this attack clearly affected how the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) now views Israel. When the GCC countries witnessed this attack on one of their own members, the impression was clear - any country could be the next target.Regarding the State of Qatar's ongoing mediation efforts, His Excellency explained that they have found that Qatar's ability to act quietly and away from the spotlight gives them an advantage in contributing to the resolution of conflicts, and sometimes in preventing them, through calm diplomatic channels and behind closed doors. He emphasized that Qatar has become a responsible player in this field, and for them, mediation is not merely a political option but a deeply rooted principle in the constitution. Since the founding of the State by Sheikh Jassim, who always called for peace, communication, and dialogue, this has been Qatar's legacy. His Excellency said that they are proud that today Qatar is recognized as a global mediator, not only in the region, but also internationally. The trust Qatar has built over the years through its regional mediations has given its efforts a global dimension. They see this extending from Latin America to Africa and Asia, His Excellency added.On Afghanistan, His Excellency said that there is a camp within Afghanistan that wants to see the country open up to the world and build better relations with all its neighbors. He believe that, in the end, those who want to build a state that has a normal relationship with the international community will prevail. Fundamentally, efforts to change the situation in Afghanistan must be made by the international community in an encouraging, rather than punitive, manner. He explained that Qatar's approach is that instead of saying, 'Because you do this, I will punish you,' it should be the opposite when it comes to Afghanistan - 'If you do this, I will reward you for it.' This approach needs to change within the international community, His Excellency explained, adding that only then they might be able put Afghanistan on the right track.Regarding relations with the United States of America, His Excellency said that Qatar's interest lies in building and strengthening a strong relationship with the United States, noting that they have a solid economic partnership, a strong security and defense partnership, and a close partnership in the energy sector. These multifaceted partnerships are a priority for Qatar and must be maintained and protected, His Excellency said, adding that all their focus is on how to preserve the relationship between the State of Qatar and the United States, because it is an important country for Qatar, just as Qatar is important to the United States. Qatar hosts the largest US air base in the region, and in the energy sector, both of sides are among the world's largest suppliers of liquefied natural gas, His Excellency noted.Regarding Iran's role in the future of the region, His Excellency said Iran is a neighbor, and Qatar share with it the largest gas field in the world, in which it hold the majority. For Qatar, the stability of Iran is essential, he said, explaining that it is very important for Iran to be stable. To ensure this stability, they must think diplomatically about how to reach a solution through diplomacy, while also ensuring that the region remains free of nuclear weapons, while granting Iran the right to develop its peaceful nuclear program for energy generation or any other purpose within international law.His Excellency adding in this regard that they are sometimes concerned by the escalatory statements coming from either Israel or Iran, and they are working to engage with both the United States and Iran to ensure that talks between the two countries return to the right track. He believe that once serious negotiations between Iran and the United States begin, they can reach an agreement that would be better for everyone.

The Gaza ceasefire violations are very disappointing and frustrating, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York Wednesday."We were trying to contain it and we mobilised right away after this and in full coordination with the US. We have seen that the US also is committed to the deal."We have been very clear with Hamas and Hamas's response was also very clear to us that they are willing to give up their governance. The open question from their perspective is that this is an obligation on all the factions not on Hamas only."HE Sheikh Mohammed said he expected the ceasefire to hold in Gaza despite a "violation" as Israel carried out strikes in response to Palestinian fire."Fortunately I think the main parties -- both of them -- are acknowledging that the ceasefire should hold and they should stick to the agreement".Gaza's civil defense agency said the Israeli strikes killed more than 100 people, including at least 35 children.HE the prime minister called the Israeli strike on Doha that killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security person not only "a shock but a game-changer for all the region.""I think that the attack itself has shown the US that there are all the red lines being crossed in the region," he said.(Al Jazeera)

Israel said it struck an arms dump in Gaza on Wednesday, hours after the deadliest night of bombing since the start of a US-brokered truce, warning it would continue to operate to take out perceived threats.The military announced it had carried out a precision strike on a site in the Beit Lahia area of northern Gaza where it said weapons were being stockpiled. Israeli troops, it said, would remain deployed in "accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat".Hamas-run Gaza's civil defence agency told AFP that one Palestinian was killed in the latest strike -- and that 104 -- including 46 children and 24 women -- had died in the previous night's bombardment.The Israeli military launched a wave of bombing after one of its soldiers was killed in Gaza on Tuesday. By mid-morning on Wednesday it said it had begun "renewed enforcement of the ceasefire".Hamas said its fighters had "no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah" and reaffirmed its commitment to the US-backed ceasefire.Both US President Donald Trump and regional mediator Qatar said they expected the ceasefire to hold, but inside Gaza displaced families were losing hope."We had just started to breathe again, trying to rebuild our lives, when the bombardment came back," said 31-year-old Khadija al-Husni, a displaced mother living with her children under canvas at a school in Al-Shati refugee camp."It's a crime. Either there is a truce or a war -- it can't be both. The children couldn't sleep; they thought the war was over."United Nations rights chief Volker Turk said the report of so many dead was appalling and urged all sides not to let peace "slip from our grasp", echoing calls from Britain, Germany and the European Union for the parties to recommit to the ceasefire.In the central city of Deir el-Balah, in a tent near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, 40-year-old Jalal Abbas was close to despair and accused the Israelis of using false pretexts to resume their campaign."The problem is that Trump gives them cover to kill civilians because they mislead him with false information," he told AFP."We want an end to the war and the escalation. We're exhausted and on the verge of collapse."

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Wednesday expressed "deep concern" after the deadliest night of bombing in Gaza since a US-brokered truce went into effect earlier this month.Gaza's civil defence agency said the strikes had killed more than 100 people, including at least 35 children, a toll confirmed by an AFP tally of medical sources at five hospitals in Gaza."We appeal to Israel to exercise military restraint in order to prevent further suffering," Wadephul said in a ministry statement released ahead of a planned trip to the region.Israel carried out strikes on dozens of Hamas targets overnight to Wednesday following the death of a soldier.After the strikes, the Israeli military said it had begun "renewed enforcement of the ceasefire", though explosions could still be seen on an AFP live video feed of the Gaza skyline after the statement was issued.US President Donald Trump, who helped to broker the nearly three-week-old truce, had earlier said that nothing would be allowed to jeopardise it. But he also endorsed Israel's right to "hit back" if attacked.Wadephul also called on Hamas to "fulfil its part of the agreement... to lay down its arms and finally hand over all the remains of the deceased hostages."Following the agreement between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire, there is hope for lasting peace, which we must continue to work towards," he added.Wadephul will first visit Jordan before heading to Lebanon and Bahrain, according to his ministry."During my trip to the Middle East, I intend to discuss with our partners where and how Germany can specifically accompany and support the next steps," he said.

The United Nations on Wednesday called the deaths in Israel's new military strikes on Gaza "appalling", as it urged all sides not to let peace "slip from our grasp".Israel said it had carried out strikes on dozens of Hamas targets following the death of a soldier, with the Gaza Strip experiencing its deadliest night of bombing since a US-brokered truce went into effect earlier in October.UN rights chief Volker Turk said the attacks had reportedly hit schools, homes and tents for internally displaced people within the Palestinian territory."Reports that over 100 Palestinians were killed overnight in a wave of Israeli airstrikes mainly on residential buildings, IDP tents and schools across the Gaza Strip, following the death of an Israeli soldier, are appalling," he said in a statement."The laws of war are very clear on the paramount importance of protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure."Turk said Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law, and would be accountable for any violations."It is distressing that these killings occurred just as the long-suffering population of Gaza started to feel there was hope that the unrelenting barrage of violence may be at an end," he said.Turk called for all parties in the conflict to act in good faith and implement the ceasefire, and urged other countries, particularly those with influence in the region, to do everything in their power to ensure compliance."The past two years have brought untold suffering and misery, and the near wholesale destruction of Gaza," he said."We must not allow this opportunity for peace and a path towards a more just and secure future to slip from our grasp."

Their faces contorted with pain, relatives mourned two children killed in overnight Israeli strikes on Gaza, leaning over small bodies on the pavement wrapped in sheets, one stained blood red.In the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza on Wednesday, Palestinians combed through piles of broken cement in a house flattened by an air strike, trying to salvage what they could."We had dinner and sat down, and then it was as if Judgment Day had come. All these stones were on top of us," Muneer Mayman told AFP in the morning, pointing to a pile of cinder blocks and concrete under which he had been found."We lay there for more than two hours while they were removing the rubble from over us."Behind him, men and children were at work sifting through debris, hauling off belongings wrapped in blankets for lack of bags or wheelbarrows.In south Gaza's Khan Yunis, an elderly woman held her face between her hands as she sat by a few utensils relatives had salvaged from rubble, an AFP journalist saw.Nuseirat's Al-Awda hospital reported at least 31 people killed in the strikes that broke the relative peace brought by a ceasefire that began on October 10.Gaza's civil defence agency said that 101 people including 35 children were killed since the strikes began, a figure confirmed by an AFP tally of medical officials in five hospitals.Jalal Abbas, a 40-year-old displaced man living in a tent in the central city of Deir al-Balah, told AFP he fears the war will return for good."The return of war is what we feared most. I expected the escalation and bombardment to resume because Israel always creates pretexts," he said."Every day they threaten to bring back the war, using the issue of the bodies as an excuse -- it's all lies," he added.Abbas was referring to Israel's declaration that Hamas broke the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire deal by not returning the bodies of deceased hostages quickly enough.Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday the military had launched the strikes "in response to the attack on soldiers and the blatant violation of the agreement to return the abducted missing".At least one Israeli soldier was killed in clashes on Tuesday.In Khan Yunis, members of the civil defence, a rescue force acting under Hamas authority, had been searching by flashlight through the rubble through the night.Women wailed as the rescuers took away the bodies of deceased relatives on stretchers, before search and rescue teams moved on to the next site, a plot of land where two tents were struck.In north Gaza's Al-Shati camp too, bombardments tore through the night."We had just started to breathe again, trying to rebuild our lives, when the bombardment came back -- bringing war, explosions and death," Khadija al-Husni, 31, told AFP.Husni also lives in a tent, having been displaced at least once like nearly all Gazans after two years of war.She deplored the ambiguity of the current ceasefire, which has been sporadically broken by Israeli air strikes or fighting with Hamas since its beginning."Either there is a truce or a war -- it can't be both. The children couldn't sleep; they thought the war was over," Husni said."Are we condemned to live in endless suffering?"

Israeli planes launched strikes in Gaza City Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the resistance group Hamas of violating a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory and ordered the military to carry out "powerful attacks".At least two people were killed and four wounded in a strike on a residential building in the city's Sabra neighbourhood, and an area close to Shifa hospital, the largest operational hospital in northern Gaza, was also hit, according to Gaza officials, witnesses and Hamas media.The strikes were the latest violence in a fragile three-week-old ceasefire and which followed a statement by Netanyahu's office saying he had ordered immediate attacks.The statement did not give a specific reason for the attacks but an Israeli military official said Hamas had violated the ceasefire by carrying out an attack against Israeli forces in an area of the enclave that is under Israeli control.The US-backed ceasefire agreement went into effect on October 10, halting two years of war that has devastated the narrow coastal strip.Both sides have accused each other of ceasefire violations.Earlier yesterday, Israeli media reported an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and fighters in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.Hamas denied responsibility for an attack on Israeli forces in Rafah. The group also said in a statement that it remained committed to the ceasefire deal in Gaza.Tuesday's strikes on Gaza City followed what Israel called a "targeted strike" on Saturday on a person in central Gaza.Netanyahu said earlier yesterday that Hamas had violated the ceasefire by turning over some wrong remains in a process of returning the bodies of hostages to Israel.Hamas said Netanyahu was looking for excuses to back away from Israel's obligations.Witnesses in Khan Younis said the Egyptian teams, working with armed Hamas fighters, were digging deep near the Hamad Housing City in the western side of Khan Younis, reaching tunnel shafts.Gaza health authorities say 68,000 people are confirmed killed in the Israeli strikes and thousands more are missing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday ordered the military to carry out intense strikes on the Gaza Strip, after accusing Hamas of violating the US-brokered ceasefire.Minutes later, Hamas said it would delay handing over the remains of another hostage under the terms of the truce deal over what it called Israel's truce "violations"."Following security consultations, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the military to immediately carry out powerful strikes in the Gaza Strip," a statement from the premier's office said, without elaborating.Hamas had earlier said it would hand over another hostage body, scheduled on Tuesday, amid mounting Israeli pressure after Hamas returned only the partial remains of a previously recovered captive."We will postpone the handover that was scheduled for today due to the occupation's violations," Hamas's armed wing said in a statement, adding that any Israeli "escalation will hinder the search, excavation, and recovery of the bodies".Hamas handed over late on Monday what it said was the 16th of 28 hostage bodies it had agreed to return under the ceasefire deal, which came into effect on October 10.But Israeli forensic examination determined Hamas had in fact handed over partial remains of a hostage whose body had already been brought back to Israel around two years ago, according to Netanyahu's office.In returning only the partial remains of an already returned captive, Netanyahu's office and a campaign group representing hostage families accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire.Netanyahu's office decried a "clear violation of the agreement" after identification procedures revealed the latest remains belonged "to the fallen hostage Ofir Tzarfati, who had been returned from the Gaza Strip in a military operation about two years ago".Netanyahu's latest instructions came after he held security consultations earlier in the day.Israeli government spokeswoman, Shosh Bedrosian, later told journalists that "in terms of consequences for Hamas nothing is off the table right now, but all of this is in full coordination with the United States, with (US) President (Donald) Trump and his team."The Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged the government to take action.Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem rejected claims the group knows where the remaining bodies are, arguing that Israel's bombardment during the two-year conflict had left locations unrecognisable."The movement is determined to hand over the bodies of the Israeli captives as soon as possible once they are located," he told AFP.Hamas has already returned all 20 living hostages as agreed in the ceasefire deal.Hamas also accused Israel of ceasefire violations, with the territory's health ministry saying that at least 94 people had been killed in Israeli fire since the truce began.On the ground in Gaza, 60-year-old Abdul-Hayy al-Hajj Ahmed told AFP he was afraid the war would start again because of the mounting pressure on Hamas."Now they accuse Hamas of stalling, and that is a pretext for renewed escalation and war," he said."We want to rest. I believe the war will come back."Israel's far-right national security minister accused Hamas of stalling the release of the remaining bodies."It is time to break its legs once and for all," Itamar Ben Gvir wrote on X.

A convoy of Egyptian trucks and vehicles transporting heavy machinery entered Gaza overnight to help locate the remains of Israeli hostages in the territory, AFP footage showed.The vehicles were filmed in Khan Yunis in the south of Gaza.The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request on Sunday morning for confirmation that the vehicles had entered.But The Times of Israel had reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally approved the entry of the Egyptian team and several engineering vehicles to the Palestinian territory to locate the missing remains.On Saturday night, Egyptian state-linked Al-Qahera News channel reported that the team was on its way to Gaza.Two Egyptian military sources had also confirmed to AFP that the convoy was at the Kerem Shalom crossing Saturday night, awaiting authorisation to cross into the Palestinian territory.On October 17, a Turkish official had announced that a team of 81 rescuers sent by Ankara to locate the hostages' bodies in Gaza was waiting in Egypt to enter the strip.But the Turkish team never received approval from Israel, amid reports that Israel objected to any Turkish involvement in Gaza.Based on the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, Hamas was due to return all 48 remaining hostages, alive and dead, who were still held in the territory, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians held by Israel.But only 15 of the 28 dead hostages have been returned so far, with the remaining bodies buried under the rubble across the devastated territory and Hamas calling for tools and assistance to locate them.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has issued an appeal on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. In a series of statements, the UN agency painted a grim picture of life for Gaza's children, saying that although the latest ceasefire had offered a brief window of survival, current aid levels remained vastly insufficient to meet the scale of destruction and need.UNICEF reported devastating statistics on the impact of the conflict, stating that more than 64,000 children have been killed or injured, while over 56,000 have lost one or both parents.The UN agency said Israel had caused widespread destruction across the territory.While acknowledging a slight increase in the flow of humanitarian aid, UNICEF insisted that the current assistance remains far from enough. The agency urged Israeli authorities to open all crossings immediately and unconditionally to ensure that humanitarian supplies can enter Gaza freely.Beyond emergency relief, UNICEF said it is working to preserve Gaza's future by supporting education.

Israeli forces carried out a "targeted strike" on an individual in central Gaza, Israel's military said Saturday.A US-backed ceasefire is in force between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas more than two years after the war in the Gaza Strip began.Witnesses said they had seen a drone strike a car and set it ablaze. Local medics said four people had been wounded, but there were no immediate reports of deaths.Witnesses said separately that Israeli tanks had shelled eastern areas of Gaza City, the Gaza Strip's biggest urban area.Several Israeli media sites said Israel, in a reversal of a policy of barring entry to foreign forces, had allowed Egyptian officials into the Gaza Strip to help locate the bodies of hostages taken captive on October 7, 2023.As part of the ceasefire agreement, Hamas has said it will return all the hostages, but the remains of 18 are still in the enclave. Reuters