Qatar has insisted that the Israeli regime should not be permitted to delay the transition to the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement over the bodies of two deceased captives that remain in the Strip.

Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed podcast that the recovery of the two bodies is a priority, but must not become an obstacle to implementing the broader agreement aimed at ending the war.

“We don’t believe Israel should be allowed to obstruct the implementation of the agreement over these two bodies,” he stated. “At the same time, of course, the Palestinian side is working to retrieve the bodies and preempt any Israeli pretexts.”

Al-Ansari emphasized that the current diplomatic effort by Qatar and regional partners is focused on shifting from the initial stage of the plan to a second phase that aims to secure a lasting ceasefire.

Conditional normalization

“There are significant challenges in reaching this stage of truce,” he said, “but the focus now is on maintaining it long enough to reach a political solution in which all parties in the region, along with the international community and the United States, work together to make this plan a success and end the war.”

The Qatari official further clarified that any potential normalization between Doha and the Israeli occupation can only occur as part of a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause.

Currently, two captives' bodies are still in Gaza: Israeli police officer Ran Gvili, who was killed during the October 7, 2023, operation at Kibbutz Alumim, and Thai worker Sudthisak Rinthalak, who was taken from Kibbutz Be’eri.

'Israel' still committing genocide

More than a month after the ceasefire was declared and all surviving Israeli captives were released, Israeli authorities are still carrying out acts of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Amnesty International said on Thursday.

According to the organization, "Israel" continues to deliberately impose conditions of life intended to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians, with no indication of a change in intent.

‘No evidence Israel’s intent has changed’

“Israel has inflicted devastating harm on Palestinians in Gaza through its genocide, including two years of relentless bombardment and deliberate systematic starvation. So far, there is no indication that Israel is taking serious measures to reverse the deadly impact of its crimes and no evidence that its intent has changed. In fact, Israeli authorities are continuing their ruthless policies, restricting access to vital humanitarian aid and essential services, and deliberately imposing conditions calculated to physically destroy Palestinians in Gaza,” Agnes Callamard, Amnesty's secretary general, stressed.

Since the ceasefire took effect on October 9, at least 350 people, including 136 children, have been killed by "Israel" in near-daily strikes.

"Israel" also continues to severely restrict life-saving aid, including medical supplies and equipment needed to repair essential infrastructure. These actions, Amnesty notes, violate multiple International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders obligating "Israel" to ensure Palestinians have access to humanitarian supplies under the genocide case brought by South Africa.