Qatar said Wednesday it expects the U.S.-backed cease-fire in Gaza to remain intact despite what it called a violation, after Israel launched strikes on the blockaded Palestinian enclave, killing civilians.
"Fortunately, I think the main parties – both of them – are acknowledging that the cease-fire should hold and they should stick to the agreement," Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told the Council on Foreign Relations on a visit to New York.
Israel carried out major strikes after it said one of its soldiers died in enemy fire in Gaza, a claim strongly rejected by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
Gaza's civil defense agency said the Israeli strikes killed more than 100 people, including at least 35 children, a toll confirmed by an AFP tally of medical sources at five hospitals in Gaza.
"That's basically a violation by the Palestinian party," al-Thani said, while noting that Hamas has said it was not communicating with the group that carried out the attack.
