The nearly two-month-old ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will not be complete until Israeli troops withdraw from the Palestinian territory under a peace plan backed by Washington and the UN, mediator Qatar's prime minister said. 

"Now we are at the critical moment... A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of the Israeli forces, (and) there is stability back in Gaza," Qatari premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani told the Doha Forum, an annual diplomatic conference in the Gulf state's capital.

Qatar, alongside the United States and Egypt, helped secure the long-elusive truce in Gaza, which came into effect on October 10 and has mostly halted two years of fighting between Israel and Hamas. 

Under a second phase of the deal, which has yet to begin, Israel is to withdraw from its positions in the territory, an interim authority is to take over governance, and an international stabilization force (ISF) is to be deployed. 

'Remaining issues'

Arab and Muslim nations have been hesitant to participate in the new stabilization force, which could end up fighting Palestinian fighters.

Türkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, also speaking at the forum, said talks on the force were ongoing and critical questions remained as to its command structure and which countries would contribute. 

But its first goal, Fidan said, "should be to separate Palestinians from the Israelis."

"This should be our main objective. Then we can address the other remaining issues," he added.

Hamas is also supposed to disarm under the 20-point plan first outlined by the US, with members who decommission their weapons allowed to leave Gaza. The group has repeatedly rejected the proposition.

Türkiye has indicated it wants to take part in the stabilization force, but its efforts are viewed unfavorably in Israel, which considers Ankara too close to Hamas.

"I think the only viable way to finish this war is to engage faithfully and forcefully in peace talks," Fidan said.

Next phase

Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar and fellow truce guarantors Türkiye, Egypt and the US were "getting together in order to force the way forward for the next phase" of the deal. 

"And this next phase is just also temporary from our perspective," he said. 

"If we are... just resolving what happened in the last two years, it's not enough," he continued, calling for a "lasting solution that provides justice for both people."

And on opening the Rafah border crossing, Egypt, Qatar and six other Muslim-majority countries also said they were concerned about Israel stating it would open a one-way crossing for Palestinians to exit the Strip.

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates "expressed their deep concern regarding the statements issued by the Israeli side concerning the opening of the Rafah crossing in one direction with the aim of transferring residents of the Gaza Strip to" Egypt, they said in a joint statement.

The ministers voiced "their absolute rejection of any attempts to expel the Palestinian people from their land" and said they were against "compelling any resident of the Gaza Strip to leave."

They urged for the crossing to be opened in both directions in accordance with the peace plan.