Qatar Emir calls on UN to push Israel into talks to end Hamas war

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Tuesday called on the UN Security Council to push Israel to return to the negotiating table over the war in Gaza.

Speaking at the 44th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Doha, Sheikh Tamim urged the international community to do more to "end the heinous crime that has continued for nearly two months".

"We are constantly working to renew (the truce) and to alleviate the burden of our people in the Gaza Strip, but truces are not an alternative for a comprehensive ceasefire," he said.

Qatar, which has been leading negotiations between Hamas and Israel, had earlier secured a seven-day truce, along with Egypt and the US, that saw the release of a number of hostages and Palestinian prisioners and the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

In November, the 15-member UN Security Council overcame an impasse and called for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in fighting between Israel and Hamas for a "sufficient number of days" to allow aid access.

Israel launched its assault on Hamas in retaliation for an October 7 cross-border attack.