Israeli strikes kill at least 60 people in Gaza as Qatar hopes Iran ceasefire could pave way for peace
Mediators are engaging with Israel and Hamas to build on momentum from this week's ceasefire between Israel and Iran, Qatar's foreign ministry said.
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Speaking to AFP on Friday, Majed al-Ansari, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman, said Doha, along with mediators in Washington and Cairo, was "trying to use the momentum that was created by the ceasefire between Iran and Israel to restart the talks over Gaza".
"If we don’t utilise this window of opportunity and this momentum, it’s an opportunity lost amongst many in the near past. We don’t want to see that again."
Mediators have been engaged in months of negotiations with the warring parties aimed at the conflict in Gaza. Mr Ansari explained there were no current talks between the sides but that Qatar was "heavily involved in talking to every side separately".
He also said he was optimistic about the idea that pressure from Washington would help to achieve a truce in Gaza. A two-month ceasefire agreed as US President Donald Trump re-entered office in January collapsed in March with Israel intensifying its offensive in Gaza afterwards.
"We have seen US pressure and what it can accomplish," Mr Ansari said, referring to the January truce.
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Israel and Iran agreed on Tuesday to a ceasefire brokered by the United States after a 12-day war that began when Israel launched strikes on Iran on June 13.
The two countries agreed to the ceasefire just hours after Iran launched strikes targeting a US military base in Qatar, in retaliation for US air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last weekend.
Meanwhile, at least 60 people were killed across Gaza by strikes that began late on Friday and continued into Saturday morning, according to health officials.
12 people were killed at the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people.
8 more people living in apartments were killed, according to staff at Shifa hospital where the bodies were brought.
6 were killed in southern Gaza when a strike hit their tent in Muwasi, according to the hospital.