Qatar is expected to host foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries on Sunday. The meeting, reported in Arab News, is expected to take place ahead of the 44th Gulf Cooperation Council Summit, the bloc said in a statement on Saturday.
“GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi said the bloc’s 158th ministerial meeting will be chaired by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman — whose country is also the current president of the ministerial council — and will be attended by member states’ foreign ministers,” Arab News reported.The GCC meeting will take place on Tuesday. This is important because of the continuing conflict in Gaza. Doha hosts Hamas and has also positioned itself as a mediator for the pause in fighting between Hamas and Israel. The report about plans for the upcoming meeting was thin on details. But it can be expected to be important for regional developments.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s King Abdullah met with the Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio on Saturday. This happened on the sidelines of the COP28 events in the UAE. The countries are trading partners. The report at Jordan’s Petra News noted that they discussed Gaza.
“Turning to the situation in Gaza, the two sides agreed on the need to work towards a permanent ceasefire, and to maximize and sustain the volume of humanitarian aid to the Strip, while ensuring its direct and uninterrupted delivery.” The King of Jordan “reaffirmed Jordan’s rejection of attempts to displace the Palestinians in Gaza, or any attempts to separate the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, stressing the need to stop settler violence against the Palestinians in the West Bank.”