Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said Israel had failed to respect a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, as he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
“As you know, we reached an agreement months ago, but unfortunately Israel did not abide by this agreement,” said the ruler of Qatar, a key mediator of the deal.
After months of lengthy negotiations, Hamas and Israel agreed in January to a three-phase ceasefire plan. But on March 18, Israel resumed its bombing of the enclave, saying it was in response to the Palestinian group’s refusal to release all remaining captives.
However, it was Israel that had presented new and tougher demands, changing the terms of the deal. Israel wanted the release of all captives without committing to a permanent end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza – two key aspects that should have been discussed in phase two, according to the original agreement.
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