Qatar’s Emir to make first state visit to France to discuss Gaza war

Talks will focus on efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict, French advisers say

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Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim is scheduled to arrive in Paris on Tuesday for his first state visit to France, a trip that will involve discussions on the Gaza war with President Emmanuel Macron.

Sheikh Tamim is expected to be welcomed at the Elysee Palace at 4pm CET before signing several agreements with Mr Macron.

The French President and his wife Brigitte will then host Sheikh Tamim for a state dinner that will include French football star Kylian Mbappe.

This will be the first official visit by a Qatari head of state to France since Sheikh Tamim’s father, Sheikh Hamad, was hosted by former French president Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009.

High on the agenda will be the war in Gaza, advisers to Mr Macron said. Discussions will focus on the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which include three French citizens, and efforts to achieve a ceasefire, the advisers said.

“Qatar is both a central partner in regional stabilisation efforts and … Qatar is also working on freeing the hostages,” they said.

The two countries are working on sending more humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, with planes carrying 10 ambulances and more than 300 tents scheduled to land in El Arish airport in Egypt early next week, they said.

“Massive humanitarian aid is now necessary and, at this stage, we see that the entry of this aid is not sufficient,” one of Mr Macron’s advisers said.

France is among the countries to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and the opening of more crossing points into the enclave, including at Rafah and Kerem Shalom.

Paris supported Jordan in dropping aid into Gaza for the second time on Monday since the start of the five-month war in which more than 29,800 Palestinians have been killed.

The French Defence Ministry shared videos and pictures showing soldiers bundling 2.2 tonnes of food and hygiene kits in the city of Toulouse, before placing them on pallets at a Jordanian airport and pushing them out planes over the embattled enclave.

A C130 aircraft belonging to the French army and three Jordanian planes were involved in the operation, the French Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

France and Qatar also plan to discuss support for Lebanon, where Israeli strikes hit the outskirts of the city of Baalbek on Monday in the latest escalation of fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah – a spillover effect of the Gaza war.

Qatar has in the past sent financial support to the cash-strapped Lebanese army, while France has engaged in diplomatic efforts to try to solve the country’s protracted financial crisis.

“We continue our efforts and our mobilisation to avoid an escalation in the region and, particularly, in Lebanon,” one of Mr Macron’s advisers said.

Paris and Doha are also scheduled to sign several agreements, including pacts between the French Agency for Development and the Qatar Foundation for Development.