French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday is scheduled to pay a diplomatic visit to Qatar, a key mediator in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and the broker of their truce and hostage deal.

Macron is expected to meet with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha and discuss a variety of issues related to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, including ways to achieve a humanitarian pause in fighting, free more hostages and facilitate peace talks.

At least four French nationals are believed to continue to be held hostage by Hamas.

The French president will be traveling to Doha from Dubai, where he arrived earlier in the week for the COP28 conference and reportedly discussed the Middle East crisis with several regional leaders on the sidelines, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi.

(With UNI inputs)