AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar, 26 October (H.S.): On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump lauded Qatar’s leadership for their critical contribution to securing the recent Gaza ceasefire, hosting the nation’s emir and prime minister aboard Air Force One during a refueling stop.

While en route to Asia for his first presidential tour of the region since returning to office, Trump held a meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The Qatari leaders boarded the presidential aircraft at Al Udeid Air Base, which serves as the regional headquarters for the U.S. military.

What we’ve done is incredible peace to the Middle East, and they were a very big factor in it, Trump stated, specifically referring to the prime minister as his friend to the world.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, fresh from diplomatic efforts in Israel to maintain the fragile truce, was also present.The meeting underscores Qatar’s central role as a key mediator in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, which brought an end to the war that began with the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

Qatar stands as a guarantor of the peace deal alongside Egypt, the United States, and Turkey.The diplomatic engagement occurred even as the situation in Gaza remains tense, with Israel conducting a fresh airstrike targeting an alleged Islamic Jihad militant.

Following his discussion with the Qatari leaders, Trump signaled his close watch on the developments, stating on his Truth Social platform, Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar