Middle East: Qatar suspends its Gaza cease-fire mediation

Qatar's Foreign Ministry said mediation efforts between Israel and the militant group Hamas in Gaza cease-fire talks are "currently stalled."

The ministry said it notified parties to the talks 10 days ago that, if an agreement were not reached during the latest round of negotiations, Doha would stall its efforts to mediate.

Qatar said it would resume its role as a mediator only when "the parties show their willingness and seriousness to end the brutal war."

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said prior media reports regarding the future of the Hamas office in Doha were "inaccurate." He said the main goal of the Hamas office is to act as a communications channel "between the concerned parties."

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu is set to call for a cease-fire in Gaza at the upcoming Arab-Islamic summit in Saudi Arabia.

"During the summit, President Bola Tinubu is expected to address the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict, emphasizing Nigeria's strong call for an immediate cease-fire and the urgent need for a peaceful solution," the president's office said in a statement on Saturday.

"Nigeria will also advocate for renewed efforts to revive the two-state solution as a pathway for lasting peace in the region."

The annual summit will open in Riyadh on Monday. Nigeria is invited as a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Qatar has reportedly pulled out of talks for a cease-fire in Gaza, according to media reports on Saturday.

An unnamed official told news agencies Reuters and AFP that Doha would no longer mediate between Israel and militant group Hamas until both sides "demonstrate a sincere willingness to return to the negotiating table."

"The Qataris informed both the Israelis and Hamas that as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith, they cannot continue to mediate," the diplomatic source told AFP.

According to the reports, the Gulf monarchy concluded that Hamas' political office in Doha "no longer serves its purpose."

A senior Hamas official later told AFP that the militant group had not received an order from Qatar to leave the country.

"We have nothing to confirm or deny regarding what was published by an unidentified diplomatic source, and we have not received any request to leave Qatar," the unnamed Hamas official said from Doha.

zc/jcg (AFP, dpa, AP, Reuters)

Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven people, including two children, in the Lebanese city of Tyre, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Saturday.

The Health Ministry said body parts had been found and would be "identified with DNA testing."

Another 46 people were injured during the strikes, the Health Ministry added.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the strikes caused "massive damage to dozens of homes."

The Israeli military said it previously told residents to evacuate the area.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed readiness to work towards a "just and comprehensive peace" in Gaza during a phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump, his office said in a statement on Saturday.

Abbas congratulated Trump on his victory and expressed his "readiness to work with President Trump to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on international legitimacy."
      
"President Trump stressed that he will work to stop the war, and his readiness to work with president Abbas and the concerned parties in the region and the world to make peace in the region," the statement said.