Doha, Qatar – Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani declared on Saturday, December 6, 2025, that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza remains profoundly incomplete without addressing the escalating crisis in the West Bank, emphasizing that true regional stability hinges on fulfilling Palestinian national aspirations. Speaking at a high-profile panel during the 23rd annual Doha Forum – an influential gathering of global leaders, diplomats, and policymakers hosted by Qatar’s foreign ministry – Sheikh Mohammed underscored his nation’s unwavering commitment to mediation as a cornerstone of Middle Eastern peace efforts.
The forum, themed “Resilient Global Leadership: Rebuilding Trust and Inspiring Action,” drew over 4,000 participants from more than 100 countries, including heads of state, UN officials, and civil society representatives, to deliberate on pressing issues like the Israel-Palestine conflict, Ukraine, and climate diplomacy. Sheikh Mohammed’s remarks, delivered amid ongoing negotiations for the ceasefire’s second phase, highlighted Qatar’s self-perceived role as a neutral convener in an “increasingly fractured international landscape.” “Qatar is committed to the stability of the region, and sees it as an essential component of its own national security,” he stated. He elaborated that Doha “does not aspire to project power through military means, but rather through diplomacy, investment, and strategic partnerships – an approach [that] is Qatar’s defining contribution in this field.”
The prime minister reiterated Qatar’s mediation philosophy: maintaining open channels with all parties without taking sides, a strategy he credited for all diplomatic progress since 2013. “All progress achieved by Qatar in this sphere has stemmed from its engagement with every stakeholder,” he said, pointing to Doha’s facilitation of ceasefires in Gaza (2014, 2021, 2022), hostage releases, and humanitarian aid pipelines. This neutral stance, Sheikh Mohammed argued, is indispensable for resolving disputes, as “without such openness, no dispute can be meaningfully resolved.”
Central to his address was a stark warning about the Gaza ceasefire’s limitations. Effective October 10, 2025, the U.S.-brokered deal – mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye – marked the first major halt to the two-year Israel-Hamas war that erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which killed 1,195 Israelis and foreigners, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. The war’s toll on Gaza has been catastrophic: Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 70,000 Palestinians killed – predominantly women and children – and nearly 171,000 injured, with thousands more missing under rubble. Independent analyses suggest indirect deaths from famine, disease, and infrastructure collapse could push the total beyond 100,000, representing 4–5% of Gaza’s pre-war population of 2.1 million.
Phase one of the agreement entailed a 24-hour suspension of hostilities followed by a partial Israeli withdrawal to a predefined “yellow line” within Gaza. In exchange, Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages and the remains of four deceased ones within 72 hours, while Israel freed approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis. The phase also ramped up aid, with 600–800 trucks entering daily by November, coordinated via a U.S.-led Civil-Military Coordination Center. It envisions Gaza’s reconstruction – estimated at $50–100 billion – and a technocratic governance body sidelining Hamas, though the group retains influence pending phase two.
Yet, Sheikh Mohammed cautioned that these steps are merely a “pause,” not a true ceasefire. “We are at a decisive moment with respect to the Gaza ceasefire,” he said, noting mediators are “working together on the second phase of the agreement, which [is] another interim step.” Qatar, Türkiye, Egypt, and the United States – led by President Donald Trump’s administration – are jointly charting this trajectory, with phase two slated to involve full Israeli withdrawal, Hamas disarmament, and international stabilization forces under UN auspices. However, violations persist: Gaza’s Health Ministry reports 367 Palestinians killed and 953 injured in Israeli actions since October 10, including eight in recent strikes. One Israeli hostage’s remains remain unreturned, stalling momentum.
The prime minister stressed that no deal can endure without tackling “root causes” beyond Gaza. “The importance of addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must go beyond ending the catastrophe in Gaza to include the situation in the West Bank and the fulfillment of Palestinian national aspirations,” he asserted. Violence in the West Bank has surged since October 2023, with over 1,000 Palestinians killed – 21% children – amid settler expansions and Israeli raids, displacing thousands and eroding prospects for a two-state solution.
Qatar’s mediation legacy bolsters its credibility here. Since 2011’s Gilad Shalit exchange (1,027 prisoners for one Israeli soldier), Doha has brokered multiple Gaza truces, including November 2023’s seven-day pause and January 2025’s temporary halt. Hosting Hamas’s political office since 2012 – at U.S. request – gives Qatar unique leverage, though it faces scrutiny for $30 million monthly aid to Gaza, which Israel tacitly approved as a stability buffer. Trump thanked Qatar in October for its “pivotal” role, crediting it for the deal’s breakthrough.
As phase two looms – potentially including a Palestinian technocratic council and UN-mandated forces – Sheikh Mohammed called for “strategic stability,” echoing U.S. visions of a demilitarized Gaza integrated into regional economies. With 241 post-ceasefire deaths in Gaza and West Bank raids intensifying, his vision demands a holistic peace: “It’s about the West Bank. It’s about the rights of the Palestinians for their state. We are hoping that we can work together with the U.S. administration to achieve this vision at the end of the day.”
As mediators huddle, Qatar’s diplomacy – blending soft power with hard-nosed neutrality – tests whether incremental pauses can forge enduring trust. Failure risks unraveling the deal, reigniting a war that has already scarred generations and redrawn Middle Eastern fault lines.
