ISTANBUL

Qatar and the UK held discussions on Saturday regarding the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, including the prisoner exchange which is set to take effect Sunday morning.

The talks were held during a phone call between Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, according to the Qatar News Agency.

The two sides addressed measures to ensure the complete implementation of the ceasefire and the exchange of hostages and prisoners.

Sheikh Mohammed expressed Qatar's hope that both parties would commit to the full execution of the agreement.

Additionally, the agency reported that the two ministers discussed the latest developments in Syria, as well as bilateral cooperation and ways to enhance relations between the two countries.

Qatar announced a three-phase ceasefire agreement on Wednesday to end more than 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip with the ceasefire set to take effect at 8.30 a.m. local time (0630GMT) on Sunday.

Nearly 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed and more than 110,700 injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi.