Qatar to invest 10 billion euros in key sectors of French economy: Elysee

France and Qatar have sealed a strategic partnership under which Qatar has agreed to channel 10 billion euros ($10.85 billion) into start-ups and investment funds in France between 2024 and 2030, the French presidency said in a statement.

The investments "to the mutual benefit of both countries" will target key sectors ranging from energy transition, semiconductor, aerospace, artificial intelligence, digital, health, hospitality and culture, it added.

The investment was announced as Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani started a two-day visit to France on Tuesday, his first state visit to the country since his accession to the throne in 2013.

Attempts to organise an Israel-Hamas ceasefire to allow the release of hostages held in Gaza dominated the first day of Al-Thani's meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

As a host to a Hamas political bureau while maintaining close ties to the United States, the emir and Qatar's mediation experience have taken on a central role in efforts to defuse the Gaza war.

Prior to travelling to France, Al-Thani met with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Doha on Monday to discuss the war in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories and efforts to reach a ceasefire.

After the meeting, Qatar's head of state renewed his country's support for the Palestinian cause and the right to an independent Palestinian state "based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital", the state news agency Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

In turn, the Hamas political leader said its movement had shown "great flexibility" in the negotiations so far and accused Israel of "stalling" them.

Qatar has played a key mediation role since the Gaza war erupted in October and international diplomatic efforts have intensified in recent days to halt hostilities before the start of Ramadan.