Qatar

August 28, 2024 8:46 PM

Qatar returns two seized ‘Saroops’ of Guru Granth Sahib to Indian Embassy in Doha: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Wednesday that Qatar has returned two 'Saroops' (copies) of the Guru Granth Sahib to the Indian Embassy in Doha. These sacred texts were earlier seized by Qatari authorities due to their connection with a religious establishment operating without the necessary approvals. Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson for the MEA, expressed gratitude to the Qatari government and issued a reminder to Indian residents in Gulf countries to adhere to l...

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 14: U.S. President Joe Biden announces increased tariffs on Chinese products to promote American investments and jobs in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 14, 2024 in Washington, DC. In order to protect American businesses, Biden announced the raising of tariffs on Chinese imports that he says are unfairly subsidized by Beijing, including electric vehicles, solar cells, semiconductors and advanced batteries. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

August 24, 2024 1:35 PM

Biden speaks to Egypt, Qatar leaders in Gaza ceasefire push

President Joe Biden spoke by phone to the leaders of Qatar and Egypt on Friday, pushing for an elusive Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal as negotiators met in Cairo to try to overcome remaining obstacles. A White House description of the calls said Biden spoke to Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and separately with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to discuss "diplomatic efforts to bring the ceasefire and hostage release deal to a conclusion." Biden is spending a week of vac...

GAZA CITY, GAZA - AUGUST 14: Palestinians inspect the scale of destruction following the Israeli attack on a house, belonged to Palestinian Yasin family, in Ez-Zeytun neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza on August 14, 2024. (Photo by Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

August 16, 2024 10:31 AM

Gaza ceasefire negotiations extend to another day as death toll exceeds 40,000

Negotiators were to meet in the Qatari capital Doha again on Friday in an effort to hammer out a Gaza ceasefire agreement as Israel continued to slam targets in the Palestinian enclave. Gaza health officials reported separately on Thursday that the death toll there had surpassed 40,000 people after more than 10 months of fighting. This round of negotiations opened on Thursday, and the talks would resume on Friday for a second day, Qatari and U.S. officials said. A U.S. official briefed on th...

Scenic cityscape from day to night of Jerusalem Old City

August 9, 2024 1:09 PM

US, Qatar and Egypt push urgent talks with Israel and Hamas on Aug 15

Leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar on Thursday called on Israel and Hamas to meet for negotiations on Aug. 15 in order to finalize a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. The three countries, which have been trying to mediate a deal, said in a joint statement the talks could take place in either Doha or Cairo. "A framework agreement is now on the table with only the details of implementation left to conclude," they said. "There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any par...

TEHRAN, IRAN - JULY 31: Members of Tehran University Council attend a protest to condemn the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, as they carry Iranian and Palestinian flags at Tehran University, July 31, 2024 in Tehran, Iran. Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an airstrike in Tehran after attending the inauguration of Iran's new president. Israel has yet to claim responsibility for his death. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

August 2, 2024 5:02 PM

Slain Hamas leader Haniyeh’s funeral held in Qatar, Israel is warned of revenge

The funeral of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh took place in Qatar on Friday following his assassination two days ago in Iran's capital Tehran - one in a series of killings of senior figures in the Palestinian militant group as the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza rages. Mourners at the ceremony in a large mosque just north of the capital Doha included Khaled Meshaal, who is tipped to be the new Hamas leader. Other senior Hamas officials and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani also att...

June 7, 2024 3:26 PM

Israeli forces batter central, south Gaza with renewed truce bid at impasse

With no sign of progress in mediators' arduous efforts to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza war, Israeli tanks and warplanes blasted central and southern areas of the enclave overnight, killing at least 23 Palestinians, local medics said. Qatari and Egyptian mediators backed by the United States, have tried to halt hostilities, secure the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinians jailed in Israel, and get aid flowing into shattered Gaza to ease a humanitarian crisis. But sources close to the ta...

June 5, 2024 4:09 PM

Hamas wants Israel to commit to permanent ceasefire, full withdrawal from Gaza

Hamas cannot agree to any deal unless Israel makes a "clear" commitment to a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, a senior official from the Palestinian militant group said on Tuesday. Qatar, which alongside the United States and Egypt has been mediating talks between Hamas and Israel, has also urged Israel to provide a clear position that has the backing of its entire government to reach a deal. "We cannot agree to an agreement that doesn't secure, guarantee, and...

May 7, 2024 12:03 PM

Gaza ceasefire uncertain, Israel vows to continue Rafah operation

Palestinian militant group Hamas on Monday agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators, but Israel said the terms did not meet its demands and pressed ahead with strikes in Rafah while planning to continue negotiations on a deal. The developments in the seven-month-old war came as Israeli forces struck Rafah on Gaza's southern edge from the air and ground and ordered residents to leave parts of the city, which has been a refuge for more than a million displaced Palestinians. Hamas s...