At the “final stage”: negotiations for a truce in Gaza accelerate in Doha
The negotiators meeting in Doha continued their discussions on Wednesday. Qatar, the main mediating country with the United States and Egypt, declared on Tuesday that the negotiations were “at the final stage” and that the “main problems” had been settled, hoping for an agreement “very soon”.
Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that “the ball is in Hamas’ court” to reach an agreement on a truce in the Gaza Strip. “If Hamas accepts it, the agreement is ready to be concluded and implemented”he added.
Mr. Blinken proposed on Tuesday sending an international security force to Gaza and placing the territory under the responsibility of the UN. He said the Palestinian Authority, which has partial administrative authority in the occupied West Bank, should regain control of Gaza in the future.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said Wednesday that the international community must maintain pressure on Israel so that it accepts the creation of a Palestinian state after a truce. Israel “must understand what is just and what is unjust, and that the power to veto peace and the Palestinian state will no longer be accepted or tolerated”he said.
