Qatar has reportedly pulled out of talks for a cease-fire in Gaza, according to media reports on Saturday.

An unnamed official told news agencies Reuters and AFP that Doha would no longer mediate between Israel and militant group Hamas until both sides “demonstrate a sincere willingness to return to the negotiating table.”

“The Qataris informed both the Israelis and Hamas that as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith, they cannot continue to mediate,” the diplomatic source told AFP.

According to the reports, the Gulf monarchy concluded that Hamas’ political office in Doha “no longer serves its purpose.”

A senior Hamas official later told AFP that the militant group had not received an order from Qatar to leave the country.

“We have nothing to confirm or deny regarding what was published by an unidentified diplomatic source, and we have not received any request to leave Qatar,” the unnamed Hamas official said from Doha.

zc/jcg (AFP, dpa, AP, Reuters)

Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven people, including two children, in the Lebanese city of Tyre, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Saturday.

The Health Ministry said body parts had been found and would be “identified with DNA testing.”

Another 46 people were injured during the strikes, the Health Ministry added.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the strikes caused “massive damage to dozens of homes.”

The Israeli military said it previously told residents to evacuate the area.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed readiness to work towards a “just and comprehensive peace” in Gaza during a phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump, his office said in a statement on Saturday.

Abbas congratulated Trump on his victory and expressed his “readiness to work with President Trump to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on international legitimacy.”
      
“President Trump stressed that he will work to stop the war, and his readiness to work with president Abbas and the concerned parties in the region and the world to make peace in the region,” the statement said.