Turkey and Qatar welcome 72-hour cease-fire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas

ANKARA

Turkey and Qatar have welcomed the U.N.-brokered 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire between Palestinian resistance factions and Israel that began in the Gaza Strip. AFP Photo

Turkey and Qatar have welcomed the U.N.-brokered 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire between Palestinian resistance factions and Israel that began in the Gaza Strip on Aug. 1, and reaffirmed commitment on further efforts for a sustainable cease-fire.

In a joint statement on late July 31, the foreign ministers of Turkey and Qatar expressed strong support for the new initiative of the Palestinian Authority to visit Cairo with a delegation comprising of all of the Palestinian groups to negotiate a sustainable cease-fire in Gaza.

Turkey and Qatar welcomed this new process as a solid expression of continued political commitment by all Palestinian groups in the Palestinian national unity government, read the statement.

“We welcome and value the substantial role played by the U.S. administration and appreciate the facilitating contribution by Egypt in hosting this new process,” said the statement.

Turkey and Qatar strongly urged Israel to “respect the ensuing agreement on a sustainable cease-fire that will save innocent lives and property and allow the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid to Gaza.
“We are pleased to have contributed to the initiation of this new process that is coming into being in part as a direct practical result of the joint efforts of Turkey and Qatar in coordination with the U.S. effort in the past week. We reaffirm our commitment to continue to work for a negotiated sustainable cease-fire between the parties and cooperate with the U.N., the U.S., Egypt and other international partners to this end,” read the statement.

The truce comes following 25 days of relentless Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which have killed at least 1,440 Palestinians – mostly civilians – and injured 8,000 others.      

The humanitarian cease-fire was declared by both U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who said both the Palestinians and Israel would send negotiators to Egypt to discuss a long-lasting agreement.