Skip to main content

Qatar brokers Israel-Hamas cease-fire

Hamas says it has reached understandings with Qatar and Israel to contain the escalation in Gaza, but details of the agreement are murky.
An impoverished area in the southern Gaza Strip refugee camp of Khan Yunis is pictured  on May 13, 2019. - Qatar began distributing millions of dollars in aid in the Gaza Strip today in a fresh bid to restore calm after a flareup with Israel, a Qatari official said. Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas, along with an allied militant group, fired hundreds of rockets at Israel on May 4 and 5, saying they were frustrated by the slow implementation of a previous ceasefire deal. (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED / AFP)        (Ph

Hamas and Israel reached a Qatari-brokered deal to end the latest round of violence, the Gaza administration announced Aug. 31. The deal also includes several projects serving the Gaza Strip. Hamas thanked the Qatari ambassador to Palestine, Mohammad al-Emadi, for his efforts.

Since the beginning of August, tensions have grown in the Gaza Strip, with incendiary balloons lighting fires in Israel in an effort to force it to ease the siege in place on Gaza since 2006. Israel responded with airstrikes on Hamas positions and closed off access to the sea. It also closed the only open trade crossing with Gaza and halted fuel shipments, leaving Gazans with less than four hours of electricity per day. 

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.