Arabic version: قطر وفرنسا تدعوان إلى حرية الملاحة في هرمز وتنفيذ ترتيبات وقف إطلاق النار في غزة
According to Al Jazeera, Qatar and France have called for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and implementation of the so-called Gaza ceasefire after Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met French President Emmanuel Macron in Doha. A joint statement said the leaders stressed the need to restore navigation through the strait “without constraints or fees”.
The statement condemned Iranian military attacks against countries in the region, describing them as a serious breach of international law. Qatari mediator Ibrahim bin Sultan Al Hashmi said diplomatic efforts were continuing to de-escalate regional tensions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran was prepared to give diplomacy another chance.
On Gaza, the two leaders called for Israeli forces to withdraw in accordance with agreed arrangements. They also urged the urgent, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid without conditions or restrictions. The United Nations World Food Programme said about 1.4 million people in Gaza, roughly two-thirds of the population, face acute food insecurity at crisis levels or worse.
France and Qatar reiterated their opposition to any annexation of the West Bank and called for an end to Israeli settlement policies and settler violence. On Lebanon, they backed full implementation of the Trilateral Framework Agreement to restore Lebanese sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and secure a complete Israeli withdrawal, while warning against a security vacuum after the UN peacekeeping mission’s mandate ends.
The countries also said they were ready to jointly support stabilisation and economic recovery projects in Syria in coordination with Syrian authorities. Qatar and France agreed to expand defence, security and economic cooperation. Macron’s regional tour also included Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and sought to strengthen strategic and economic partnerships.
