Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani called for the full implementation of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and expressed hope that the next phase will be finally completed.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview on Friday that he now expects "the (United Nations) Security Council to issue a binding resolution to implement (the ceasefire) protocol.
On Wednesday, Qatar, Egypt and the United States announced that Hamas and Israel had reached a multi-phase deal to stop the war in Gaza and exchange Israeli captives in the Strip for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
Mediators say a ceasefire in Gaza will come into effect on Sunday. The first phase of the deal, which lasts seven weeks, will see a surge in humanitarian aid, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops and the release of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israel said that if the first phase goes smoothly, the second phase is expected to begin in March.
Israel's cabinet is expected to approve the ceasefire later on Friday.
Al Jazeera's Stephanie Decker reported from Amman, Jordan, that the Israeli government was holding a meeting to discuss the issue.
"The meeting was originally scheduled for Saturday, but pressure from mediators forced them to start today," she said.
Sheikh Mohammed noted that Qatar and Egypt played an important role as mediators in the armistice negotiations. He said the joint efforts of the outgoing Biden administration and members of President-elect Donald Trump's team were decisive in reaching a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
But he stressed that Qatar's position was that of a mediator and said that "the post-war administration of Gaza is a Palestinian issue."
Sheikh Mohammed also stressed the importance of mobilizing international support for Gaza and establishing mechanisms to support affected families.
"A humanitarian agreement has been reached on mechanisms to deliver aid to prevent extortion," he said.
Sanctions 'illogical'
In addition to negotiating a ceasefire in Gaza, Qatar is also working to strengthen ties with Syria's new de facto government, led by Ahmed Sala, whose Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group has led the opposition offensive, Overthrew Syria's long-time ruler Bashar Al. Assad last month.
Sheikh Mohammed met Shala in Damascus on Thursday and called for the lifting of sanctions on Syria.
"We have been working to lift sanctions from the first day of the fall of the (Assad) regime and we do not want Syria to collapse," Sheikh Mohammed said.
"The sanctions were targeted at the Assad regime and are now illogical. The new government is not expected to simultaneously address international issues and serve the sanctioned people," he added.
Both the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Assad and his government for alleged crimes committed during the war. The war began after security forces cracked down on pro-democracy protesters in 2011. Washington and Brussels have yet to make a decision to lift those sanctions. sanctions, but has begun expressing interest in cooperating with the new Syrian government.
Sheikh Mohammed also criticized Israel's move to occupy territory near the Golan Heights in southern Syria.
“We reject Israel’s reckless incursion into the Syrian buffer zone. We spoke to Ahmed Sala and confirmed the need for Israel
Withdrawal and invasion should not create a new reality," he said.
Israel last month deployed military forces to the buffer zone that separates Syria and Israel along the Golan Heights after Assad was overthrown. The area has been officially designated a demilitarized zone as part of a 1974 UN-brokered ceasefire.