By Rania Abu Shamala
ISTANBUL (AA) – US President Donald Trump praised Qatar on Saturday as a “great ally” during a brief refueling stop in Doha while traveling to Malaysia to attend the 47th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
“It is an honor. We have a great ally. He's a great ally. They are a great ally. And these are two great men…. I want to just say we express our thanks, and you have a safe Middle East right there, and you're gonna keep it that way for a long time,” Trump said alongside Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman.
“I was thinking, we’re landing here, we’re going to fuel up, and it’s such an honor to have you on the plane,” he said.
“What we’ve done is incredible. Peace to the Middle East and they were a very big factor in this and I just want to thank (them).”
Trump further said that the US and Qatar have done “a lot together, especially in the last year.”
The first phase of a ceasefire took effect in Gaza on Oct. 10 under Trump’s 20-point plan.
Phase one includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.
Since October 2023, the Israeli genocidal war has killed over 68,500 people and injured more than 170,300, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.