Sheikh Tamim stressed in his conversation with Biden the need to de-escalate and protect the lives of civilians (Al Jazeera + agencies)
Doha announced the success of mediation efforts in overcoming obstacles to the release of the second batch of prisoner exchange deals between Israel and Hamas, while the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, received a call from US President Joe Biden, who expressed his appreciation for the Qatari role.
The White House said Biden and Qatar's emir had agreed to communicate closely to ensure the deal was fully implemented on its terms.
US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrian Watson said that Biden discussed with Sheikh Tamim during the call on Saturday obstacles to the implementation of the agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The US president expressed his appreciation for Qatar's role in facilitating the temporary truce in the Gaza Strip, which began last Friday and is scheduled to last 4 days, which can be extended.
For his part, the Amiri Diwan said in a statement that the Emir of Qatar stressed the need to "reduce tension and escalation, protect the lives of civilians, respect international humanitarian law, and increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza."
Axios quoted a US official as saying that Biden asked during the call with the Emir of Qatar for help in resolving the crisis related to the implementation of the prisoner exchange deal.
Before midnight, the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, released the second batch of Israeli detainees: 5 women and 8 children, in addition to 4 foreigners outside the agreement.
On the other hand, the occupation authorities began releasing 39 Palestinian prisoners, women and children, from Ofer Prison in the West Bank.
The second batch was supposed to be delivered on Saturday afternoon, the second day of the truce in the Gaza Strip, but the Qassam Brigades said that it postponed this step until the occupation adheres to the standards of the exchange deal, and the entry of relief trucks into the northern Gaza Strip, while the Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission accused the occupation authorities of manipulating the prisoners' lists, and not adhering to the seniority standard when releasing them.
For his part, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari announced the success of contacts held by Qatar and Egypt with Hamas and Israel in overcoming the obstacles that caused delays in the implementation of the release of the second batch of prisoners.
Al-Ansari reiterated his country's appreciation for the efforts of the mediation partners Egypt and the United States to overcome obstacles to the implementation of the agreement.
For its part, Hamas said in a statement that it "responded to the appreciated Egyptian-Qatari efforts that moved throughout the day to ensure the continuation of the interim truce agreement."
Source: Al Jazeera + Reuters