Qatar's prime minister, French delegation discuss developments in Gaza

ISTANBUL

Qatar’s prime minister held a meeting with a delegation from France’s parliament Tuesday to address the ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli assault for the past eight months.

“Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met Tuesday with a delegation of members of the French Parliament on the occasion of their visit to the country,” the state-run Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

The agency did not disclose the identities of the French delegation members or the duration of their visit to Qatar.

The meeting “discussed cooperative ties between the two countries, ways to strengthen them, and developments in the Gaza Strip and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in addition to a range of topics of joint interest,” the statement added.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave.

More than 35,600 Palestinians have been killed, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, and nearly 79,900 others injured since last October following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered it to ensure that its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio