Trump calls for moving Gazans
Qatar reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution on Tuesday after US president Donald Trump repeated his call to move Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt or Jordan.
Foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari did not reveal details of conversations with US officials, but said Qatar often didn鈥檛 see 鈥榚ye to eye鈥� with its allies.
鈥極ur position has always been clear to the necessity of the Palestinian people receiving their rights, and that the two-state solution is the only path forward,鈥� Ansari told a regular media briefing when asked about Trump鈥檚 comments.
鈥榃e don鈥檛 see eye to eye on a lot of things with all our allies, not only the United States, but we work very closely with them to make sure that we formulate policy together,鈥� he added.
Qatar, the US and Egypt jointly mediated the Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal that went into effect a little over a week ago, halting more than 15 months of fighting sparked by Hamas鈥檚 October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
On Monday, Trump repeated his wish to move Gazans to another country, after earlier saying he wanted to 鈥榗lean out鈥� the devastated Palestinian territory.
The US president told reporters he would 鈥榣ike to get them living in an area where they can live without disruption and revolution and violence so much鈥�.
Ansari said Qatar, which hosts the region鈥檚 biggest US military base, was 鈥榚ngaging fully with the Trump administration and with envoy (Steve) Witkoff鈥�, the president鈥檚 special representative for the Middle East.
鈥業鈥檓 not going to comment on the type of discussions we are having with them right now,
but I would say that it is very productive,鈥� Ansari said.
鈥榃e have been working very closely with the Trump administration over the regional issues as a whole, including the Palestinian issue.鈥�
Meanwhile, France on Tuesday said any forced displacement of Gazans would be 鈥榰nacceptable鈥� after Trump proposed moving Gaza Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan.
鈥楢ny forced displacement of the population in Gaza would be unacceptable,鈥� a French foreign ministry spokesman said when asked about Trump鈥檚 comments.
鈥業t would not only be a serious violation of international law, but also a major hindrance to the two-state solution,鈥� the spokesman said, referring to calls for Israeli and Palestinian states living side-by-side.
It would also be a 鈥榙estabilisation factor (for) our close allies Egypt and Jordan鈥�.
Almost all of the Gaza Strip鈥檚 2.4 million inhabitants have been displaced by the war that began with Palestinian militant group Hamas鈥檚 attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
But a fragile ceasefire that came into force this month could boost permanent peace efforts.