Qatar, France call for opening of Hormuz and Gaza ceasefire implementation

After a meeting in Doha between Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and French President Emmanuel Macron, the two countries called for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz without restrictions or fees. Their joint statement condemned Iranian military attacks in the region and called for Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza and for urgent, unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid. The leaders also opposed annexation of the West Bank and called for an end to settlement policies and settler violence. On Lebanon, they backed full implementation of the trilateral framework agreement to restore the country’s sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and secure a complete Israeli withdrawal.