The man at the centre of negotiations over a Gaza ceasefire has told Sky News Donald Trump wants a deal done before he takes power in January. 

Speaking exclusively to Sky’s The World with Yalda Hakim, the prime minister of Qatar expressed cautious optimism but said it required “maximum pressure” on all parties to end the fighting.

Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani said Mr Trump’s advisers and the incoming administration have said they want the situation resolved by his 20 January inauguration.

“We are trying to coordinate with them our efforts, and all of us, we agree, and we are hoping to get over this situation before the president comes to the office,” he said.

The prime minister said the Trump team “want this to be resolved now – today even”.

Mr al Thani also defended Hamas being allowed to continue operating its political office from Doha, Qatar’s capital.

He stressed it was set up “with full transparency and coordination, and at the request of the US and Israel at that time to have this as to be used as a negotiation platform”.

He said multiple ceasefires had been brokered through the office since 2014.

“There are tons of situations where we have prevented an escalation from the beginning in order not to put ourselves in a situation like what we ended up with on 7 October,” he said.

The prime minister added: “There will be always be criticism, a lot of parties who will not like this kind of policy, yes, but it’s needed.”

Negotiations over a Gaza ceasefire have so far proved unsuccessful, with more than 44,500 Palestinians killed in the war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas after the group killed about 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages in its October 2023 terror attack.

About 100 hostages are still inside Gaza – but at least a third are believed to be dead.

On Monday, Donald Trump said there would be “hell to pay” if the hostages were not released before he re-enters the White House.

“Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America,” he wrote on his Truth Social site.

Speaking about what Mr Trump’s re-election means for the Middle East – including relations with Iran – the Qatari prime minister said there were “a lot of risks” but “plenty of opportunities”.

“I hope that everyone sees these opportunities,” he added.

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Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, is currently in the UK for a state visit and a lavish banquet was held in his honour at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

The Gulf state’s prime minister told Sky News the trip was a “celebration” of long-standing links between Britain and Qatar – and that it was especially welcome as loyalty was “in short supply in the world”.

He also addressed criticism of Qatar’s human rights record, with some urging Sir Keir Starmer to raise the issue during the visit.

Campaigners have frequently accused it of abuses against migrant workers, curtailing freedom of expression, and discrimination against women and LGBTQ people.

Mr al Thani said the wealthy Gulf state was doing its best to address issues.

“It’s unfortunate sometimes when we see all this criticism in human rights or so-called human rights records in Qatar,” he said.

“We are not saying that we are a perfect nation or a perfect country, but we are a country that when we see there is something wrong, we acknowledge the facts that these are wrong things, and we are trying to do our best according to our systems and our customs, to modify it and to reform it.”

Police in New York are hunting a gunman who shot dead a healthcare executive outside a hotel in what was a “brazen targeted attack”.

Brian Thompson, who had been the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare since April 2021, was killed outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan.

The gunman, who was wearing a face mask, was lying in wait for about five minutes before he approached the 50-year-old victim from behind.

He opened fire several times, shooting him in the back and leg. He then walks towards Mr Thompson and continues to shoot.

Police said the weapon jammed during the attack, which happened at around 6.45am local time on Wednesday. But the shooter cleared the jam and started firing again.

The suspect then fled on foot before getting on a GPS-tracked e-bike and was last seen in Central Park.

Mr Thompson, who lived in Minnesota, was taken to a nearby hospital but could not be saved.

Police are still searching for the suspect and are offering a $10,000 (£7,866) reward for information. Officers also said they did not yet have a motive for the shooting.

Photos taken from CCTV footage shows a man wearing a grey backpack riding a bicycle, and another photo of the individual appearing to be pointing a gun.

The suspect was described as a light-skinned male, wearing a light brown or cream coloured jacket, a black face mask, black and white trainers and distinctive grey rucksack.

Police said there was another person standing next to Mr Thompson when he was attacked outside the hotel, and are in the process of identifying them.

New York City’s police commissioner Jessica Tisch said the shooting was a “brazen, targeted attack”.

“This does not appear to be a random act of violence. Every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack,” she said.

Who was Brian Thompson?

James Sillars

Business and economics reporter

@SkyNewsBiz

Brian Thompson was the boss of UnitedHealth’s insurance division.

He had been at the company, in various roles, for 20 years and had served in his current job since 2021.

Mr Thompson worked under group chief executive Sir Andrew Witty, the experienced British executive best known in the UK for his tenure in charge at pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline in the early 2000s.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare health insurance plans in the United States – policies that holders generally find cause to complain about industry-wide.

Medicare plans cover people aged 65 or older and younger people with disabilities.

America’s healthcare insurance costs rank as the most expensive in the world.

The firm also manages health insurance for companies.

Mr Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, said that he had been receiving threats.

“There had been some threats,” she said in a phone call to Sky’s US partner network, NBC News. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”

“I can’t really give a thoughtful response right now. I just found this out and I’m trying to console my children,” she added.

The attack happened as the company was scheduled to have its annual meeting with investors on Wednesday morning in the Hilton. Mr Thompson had arrived in New York on Monday to attend the meeting and was staying in a hotel opposite the Hilton.

It is understood Mr Thompson was in charge of organising the conference and was due to speak at the meeting.

“We’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members, and as a result, I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today,” UnitedHealth’s chief executive Sir Andrew Witty said.

The suspect was described as using a firearm with a silencer, CNBC reported, citing a person familiar with the incident.

UnitedHealthcare is the insurance arm of the healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group.

In a statement, it said: “Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.

“Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”

There have been no arrests, and the investigation is active and ongoing.

The scene of the shooting is a short walk from tourist sites such as the Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller Centre. The popular Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree lighting is set to take place Wednesday evening.

Cathay Pacific has apologised after an episode of Family Guy depicting Tiananmen Square was included in inflight entertainment.

The episode of the adult animated series – known for pushing boundaries – includes a scene referencing the 1989 protest crackdown, in which China’s military violently suppressed massive pro-democracy protests.

Cathay Pacific is Hong Kong’s flagship airline.

“Cathay Pacific is aware of the incident and sincerely apologises to the affected customers,” the company said in a statement.

“We emphasise that the content of the programme does not represent Cathay Pacific’s standpoint, and have immediately arranged to have the programme removed as soon as possible.”

The airline said the content of its inflight entertainment system is managed by a third-party provider.

“We have consistently provided them with clear instructions to ensure that the recommended content meets our company standards.

“We have promptly informed the service provider of the seriousness of the incident, and have instructed them to thoroughly investigate the cause and strengthen oversight to ensure that similar incidents do not occur in the future.”

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For three decades, an annual vigil in Hong Kong honoured those who died in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on 4 June 1989.

However, the group that organised the vigil has disbanded amid a crackdown on political activism in the semi-autonomous city.