Qatar, Egypt Pressed for Next Steps to Solidify Gaza Truce

Qatar and Egypt, key mediators of the Gaza ceasefire, have called for concrete steps to ensure the truce holds, warning that the current calm is only a temporary pause in hostilities.

Speaking at the Doha Forum on December 6, 2025, Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the deployment of an international stabilization force are essential to maintain peace.

“What we have now is a pause, not a complete ceasefire,” he said, stressing that Israel’s ongoing military presence and restrictions on movement leave the situation fragile.

The ceasefire, backed by the United States and the United Nations, initially required Israeli troops to pull back behind a designated “yellow line” inside Gaza.

In the first phase of the agreement, the Palestinian group Hamas released most living hostages and returned the remains of casualties, with one exception still pending.

Mediators outlined several next steps, including reopening border crossings for humanitarian aid, establishing a transitional administrative structure under international oversight, and clarifying the mandate and contributors for the stabilization force.

Qatar and Egypt emphasized that timely implementation of these measures is crucial to prevent a return to violence and allow civilians safe access to essential supplies.