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©(Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)
Attempts to organize an Israel-Hamas ceasefire to allow the release of hostages held in Gaza dominated the first day of a state visit to France by Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
Hostage Hopes
Three of the hostages are French nationals, and France has emphasized the urgency of bringing out the captives.
A week-long truce in November saw more than 100 hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners freed, but recent talks have proved more difficult.
Egyptian, Qatari, and US experts met in Doha on Sunday for talks also attended by Israeli and Hamas representatives, state-linked Egyptian media said.
Before that, talks were held without a Hamas presence in Paris, where representatives "came to an understanding among the four of them about what the basic contours of a hostage deal for a temporary ceasefire would look like," White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told CNN.
Al-Thani and Macron signed an accord on humanitarian cooperation, including for Gaza. Part of the accord set aside 200 million euros ($217 million) to help Palestinians.
Three French-Qatari transporter planes took 75 tons of relief goods, 10 ambulances, food rations, and tents to Al-Arish, an Egyptian town near the Gaza border, the presidency said.
Al-Thani's trip on Tuesday and Wednesday is his first state visit to France since he became emir of the small but gas-rich emirate in 2013.
As a host to a Hamas political bureau while maintaining close ties to the United States, the emir and Qatar's mediation experience have taken on a central role in efforts to defuse the Gaza war.
Macron hosted a state dinner for the emir, where, on top of political, business, and entertainment figures, France football captain Kylian Mbappe was one of the guests.
Mbappe plays for the Paris Saint-Germain club, which is owned by a Qatari entity. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is a part of the emir's inner circle.
Macron said at the start of the dinner that Qatar had agreed to invest 10 billion euros in the French economy by 2030.
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