Prime Minister's meeting with the Amir of Qatar

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with the Amir of Qatar, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this morning.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

“The Prime Minister met the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, this morning in Riyadh.

“The leaders agreed that the loss of civilian life following Hamas’ attacks was shocking and tragic. They underlined the imperative of avoiding any escalation in the violence across the region and agreed that leaders had a responsibility to do everything possible to prevent it.

“The Prime Minister thanked Qatar for their efforts to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas two weeks ago, including British nationals. He said that the UK Government would use all the tools at our disposal to support these efforts and end the torment of the victims and their families. The leaders agreed to stay in close contact to continue these efforts.

“The Prime Minister and the Amir welcomed progress on opening up humanitarian access to Gaza. They agreed on the urgent need to get food, water and medicine to civilians who are suffering.

“The leaders looked forward to meeting again soon to deepen the bilateral relationship between our countries.”