Mediator Qatar Says Israel ‘Did Not Abide’ by Gaza Truce Deal

 Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, left, at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, left, at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)
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Mediator Qatar Says Israel ‘Did Not Abide’ by Gaza Truce Deal

 Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, left, at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, left, at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Thursday that Israel had failed to respect January’s 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.

A truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Qatar with Egypt and the United States, came into force on January 19, largely halting more than 15 months of fighting triggered by Palestinian fighters’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

The initial phase of the truce ended in early March, with the two sides unable to agree on the next steps. Israel resumed air and ground attacks across the Gaza Strip on March 18 after earlier halting the entry of aid.

Israel said Wednesday that it had converted 30 percent of Gaza into a buffer zone in the widening offensive.

Sheikh Tamim said Qatar would “strive to bridge perspectives in order to reach an agreement that ends the suffering of the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza.”

Putin recognized Qatar’s “serious efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict” and called deaths in the conflict “a tragedy.”

“A long-term settlement can only be achieved on the basis of the UN resolution and first of all connected to the establishment of two states,” he added.

Israel’s renewed assault has so far killed at least 1,691 people in Gaza, the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory reported, bringing the overall toll since the war erupted to 51,065, most of them civilians.

Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.



Trump Visits Al Udeid, Says Qatar Will Invest $10 Billion in Air Base

President Trump speaks on stage during a tour of the Al Udeid Air Base on May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar (Getty) 
President Trump speaks on stage during a tour of the Al Udeid Air Base on May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar (Getty) 
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Trump Visits Al Udeid, Says Qatar Will Invest $10 Billion in Air Base

President Trump speaks on stage during a tour of the Al Udeid Air Base on May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar (Getty) 
President Trump speaks on stage during a tour of the Al Udeid Air Base on May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar (Getty) 

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Qatar will invest $10 billion in the coming years in the Al Udeid Air Base southwest of Doha, the largest US military facility in the Middle East.

Speaking at a meeting with business leaders in Qatar, Trump said his trip through the Gulf region could generate $4 trillion.

“This is a record tour. There’s never been a tour that will raise—it could be a total of $3.5, $4 trillion. Just in this four or five days,” he said.

He described his visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Emirates as a historic trip.

Later during a visit to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Thursday, where he spoke to American troops, Trump said, “We almost lost the Middle East because of the policies of the Joe Biden administration. But we’re going to protect the Middle East.”

On the nuclear file, Trump revealed that the United States is “very close to making a deal with Iran,” stating that Tehran has “somewhat agreed to the terms” of a long-term agreement. He added, “We want to deal with the Iran problem in a smart way — but not violently.”

On the situation in Yemen, Trump said the US is prepared to return to military operations against the Houthis if provoked.

“We’re dealing with the Houthis, and I think that’s been very successful. But maybe an attack will be launched tomorrow — in which case, we’ll go back to the offensive,” he said.

Trump then praised US troops stationed at the Al Udeid Air Base in Doha.
“You are the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. We have the strongest military in the world,” he said.

Trump also touted plans for advanced US warplanes — including the Boeing F-47 announced in March as an update on the F-22 and named in honor of both the incumbent 47th president and the founding year of the Air Force.

“We’re going to do an F-55 and I think if we get the right price, we have to get the right price, and that’ll be two engines and a super upgrade on the F-35,” Trump said.

The US President also commented on his meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh.

“I didn’t know Syria had been under sanctions for this long,” Trump said.