Trump wants Gaza ceasefire deal by the time he takes power - Qatari PM

The antheral astatine the centre of negotiations implicit a Gaza ceasefire has told Sky News Donald Trump wants a woody done earlier helium takes powerfulness successful January. 

Speaking exclusively to Sky's The World with Yalda Hakim, the premier curate of Qatar expressed cautious optimism but said it required "maximum pressure" connected each parties to extremity the fighting.

Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani said Mr Trump's advisers and the incoming medication person said they privation the concern resolved by his 20 January inauguration.

"We are trying to coordinate with them our efforts, and each of us, we agree, and we are hoping to get implicit this concern earlier the president comes to the office," helium said.

The premier curate said the Trump squad "want this to beryllium resolved present - contiguous even".

Mr al Thani besides defended Hamas being allowed to proceed operating its governmental bureau from Doha, Qatar's capital.

He stressed it was acceptable up "with afloat transparency and coordination, and astatine the petition of the US and Israel astatine that clip to person this arsenic to beryllium utilized arsenic a dialog platform".

He said aggregate ceasefires had been brokered done the bureau since 2014.

"There are tons of situations wherever we person prevented an escalation from the opening successful bid not to enactment ourselves successful a concern similar what we ended up with connected 7 October," helium said.

The premier curate added: "There volition beryllium ever beryllium criticism, a batch of parties who volition not similar this benignant of policy, yes, but it's needed."

Negotiations implicit a Gaza ceasefire person truthful acold proved unsuccessful, with much than 44,500 Palestinians killed successful the war, according to the Hamas-run wellness ministry.

Israel has vowed to hitch retired Hamas aft the radical killed astir 1,200 radical and took much than 200 hostages successful its October 2023 panic attack.

About 100 hostages are inactive wrong Gaza - but astatine slightest a 3rd are believed to beryllium dead.

On Monday, Donald Trump said determination would beryllium "hell to pay" if the hostages were not released earlier helium re-enters the White House.

"Those liable volition beryllium deed harder than anybody has been deed successful the agelong and storied History of the United States of America," helium wrote connected his Truth Social site.

Speaking astir what Mr Trump's re-election means for the Middle East - including relations with Iran - the Qatari premier curate said determination were "a batch of risks" but "plenty of opportunities".

"I anticipation that everyone sees these opportunities," helium added.

Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, is presently successful the UK for a authorities sojourn and a lavish banquet was held successful his honour astatine Buckingham Palace connected Tuesday.

The Gulf state's premier curate told Sky News the travel was a "celebration" of long-standing links betwixt Britain and Qatar - and that it was particularly invited arsenic loyalty was "in abbreviated proviso successful the world".

He besides addressed disapproval of Qatar's quality rights record, with immoderate urging Sir Keir Starmer to rise the contented during the visit.

Campaigners person often accused it of abuses against migrant workers, curtailing state of expression, and favoritism against women and LGBTQ people.

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Mr al Thani said the affluent Gulf authorities was doing its champion to code issues.

"It's unfortunate sometimes erstwhile we spot each this disapproval successful quality rights oregon alleged quality rights records successful Qatar," helium said.

"We are not saying that we are a cleanable federation oregon a cleanable country, but we are a state that erstwhile we spot determination is thing wrong, we admit the facts that these are incorrect things, and we are trying to bash our champion according to our systems and our customs, to modify it and to betterment it."