Qatar striving to end suffering of Palestinians, Emir tells Putin

MOSCOW: Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad AI Thani and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday discussed the situation in Gaza, where Qatar played a key role in brokering a January deal between Israel and Hamas for a three-phase ceasefire.

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"We reached an agreement regarding Gaza a few months back but Israel has not adhered to the agreement," Sheikh Tamim said.

"Qatar, in its role as a mediator, will strive to bridge differing perspectives in an effort to reach an agreement to end the suffering of the Palestinian people." Putin told the Emir: "We know that Qatar is making very serious efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unfortunately, the initiatives put forward, including by you, have not been implemented - peaceful people continue to die in Palestine, which is an absolute tragedy of today." "A long-term settlement can only be achieved on the basis of the UN resolution and first of all connected to the establishment of two states," he added.

Russia and Qatar also signed an agreement on Thursday under which each country will pay an extra | billion euros ($1.14 billion) into a joint investment fund, a Russian official said.

DOZENS MORE KILLED: Gaza's civil defence agency said on Thursday that a rash of Israeli air strikes killed at least 40 people, most of them in encampments for displaced civilians, as Israel pressed its offensive in the Palestinian territory.