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Egypt, Qatar Agree to Supply Fuel, Building Materials to Gaza

A father in the Gaza Strip transports his children on his motorcycle back from school. (Reuters)
A father in the Gaza Strip transports his children on his motorcycle back from school. (Reuters)
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Egypt, Qatar Agree to Supply Fuel, Building Materials to Gaza

A father in the Gaza Strip transports his children on his motorcycle back from school. (Reuters)
A father in the Gaza Strip transports his children on his motorcycle back from school. (Reuters)

Qatar and Egypt have signed agreements to supply fuel and basic building materials to the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian sources familiar with the matter told Asharq Al-Awsat that the agreement will help address the salary crisis for Hamas government employees.

The announcement was made in Oslo by Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi,Qatar's minister of state for foreign affairs, during a ministerial meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), the international donor group for Palestinians.

Muraikhi affirmed that the joint collaborative efforts will contribute to improving living conditions in Gaza.

Muraikhi underlined the importance of the current understandings for facilitating the movement of travelers through Rafah border crossing and communication among all parties to calm the situation in the region.

The State of Qatar is working with various international community parties to reach a just solution that achieves peace and security in the sisterly State of Palestine, he added.

Qatar has been keen to provide many financial grants, humanitarian support projects and urgent relief interventions to improve the humanitarian, economic and development situation of the Palestinian people, Muraikhi noted.

“This constituted a key factor in improving living conditions, especially in the Gaza Strip, where the total amount provided has amounted to more than $1.5 billion, allocated for health education, housing, industry and agriculture sectors, as well as infrastructure projects, roads, and buildings.”

In August, Israel agreed with Qatar and the United Nations on a mechanism to transfer aid from the Gulf State to Gaza, boosting prospects for relief in the Palestinian enclave after it was devastated in an Israel-Hamas conflict.

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Arab World

London to Host International Conference in Mid-April on ‘Peace and Civilian Protection’ in Sudan

A photo taken in January 2024 shows women and children at the Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan (Reuters)
A photo taken in January 2024 shows women and children at the Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan (Reuters)
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London to Host International Conference in Mid-April on ‘Peace and Civilian Protection’ in Sudan

A photo taken in January 2024 shows women and children at the Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan (Reuters)
A photo taken in January 2024 shows women and children at the Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan (Reuters)

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Yusuf described the visit of a British diplomatic delegation to the administrative capital, Port Sudan, as “highly significant,” stating that it aimed to consult with the Sudanese government regarding London’s plans to hold an international conference on Sudan in mid-April.

The conference, set to coincide with the second anniversary of the conflict, seeks to coordinate efforts between the two foreign ministries.

In an exclusive statement to Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday, Yusuf clarified that the conference will focus solely on humanitarian issues, civilian protection, and peace, with no other objectives.

He added: “The British delegation’s visit is to brief the Sudanese government on the conference’s goals and the invited parties.”

The Sudanese minister welcomed the British initiative as a “positive step,” following a key meeting with British officials in Munich, where bilateral relations and diplomatic engagement between Sudan and the UK were discussed to prevent escalations in international forums. “So far, discussions are progressing well,” he stated.

Yusuf confirmed that communication and meetings between Port Sudan and London are ongoing, saying: “The Sudanese ambassador in London arranged a meeting for me with the British Minister of State for African Affairs, which was highly constructive.”

On Tuesday, Port Sudan received a British diplomatic delegation that included Harriet Matthews, Director General for Africa, the Americas, and the Overseas Territories at the UK Foreign Office; Richard Crowder, the UK Special Envoy to Sudan; Mark Taylor, a political advisor at the British Embassy in Cairo; and the head of the UK Office for Sudan Affairs.

In its first meetings with Sudanese officials, the delegation met with the Governor of Darfur, Minni Arko Minnawi, to discuss the worsening humanitarian conditions for displaced people, particularly in Darfur’s camps.

Minnawi informed the delegation that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to block roads and prevent aid convoys from reaching those in need. He also criticized the international community’s stance on the situation in Darfur and urged Britain to take a more active role in addressing the crisis affecting the region’s population.

The British delegation is also expected to address Sudan’s accusations against the UK, alleging that it has “abandoned its moral and political responsibility as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, supported war financiers in Sudan, and held secret meetings with RSF leaders—making it complicit in the atrocities being committed.”

In November 2024, Britain, alongside Sierra Leone, submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council aimed at strengthening measures to protect civilians in Sudan. The resolution urged both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF to uphold their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration on humanitarian principles. However, Russia vetoed the resolution, arguing that it undermined Sudan’s sovereignty.

In December, Sudanese Deputy Sovereign Council Chairman Malik Agar informed the British envoy of his government’s objections to the UK’s stance on the war, stating that Sudan “is dissatisfied with Britain’s negative and unsupportive position toward the Sudanese people.”