Qatari, French FMs urge for Gaza ceasefire

DOHA, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Qatari foreign minister expressed the country's deep concern over the "catastrophic deterioration" of humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip when meeting with his French counterpart on Sunday.

Speaking to Catherine Colonna, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, also the prime minister of Qatar, underlined the need for concerted regional and international diplomatic efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire, according to a statement released by the Qatari Foreign Ministry.

Assuring Qatar's continued efforts to mediate the release of the prisoners, Al Thani noted "The continued bombing doubles the humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip and complicates securing their release."

For her part, Colonna said "An immediate, durable and observed humanitarian truce is absolutely necessary and must be able to lead to a ceasefire," the French Foreign Ministry posted on social media platform X.

The Israel-Hamas conflict, raging for nearly a month, has led to the deaths of 9,770 Palestinians in Gaza. On the Israeli side, more than 1,400 people lost their lives, the vast majority in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, which triggered the ongoing conflict.