UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has discussed the dire situation in Gaza with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, with the officials agreeing that a full-scale Israeli military operation in Rafah would have catastrophic consequences and must be prevented, Al Jazeera reports quoting UN read-out.

Guterres expressed “deep appreciation for Qatar’s continued mediation efforts to broker a deal for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate release of hostages”, the statement added.