Negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continue. The Qatari Prime Minister spoke this Saturday with a Hamas delegation. Qatar is one of the countries that has engaged alongside the United States and Egypt in negotiations for a truce and the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdelrahmane Al-Thani discussed ways to reach an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza, where they are at war with Israel, on Saturday in Doha with a Hamas delegation. .
The rest after this ad
The rest after this ad
Sheikh Mohammad, whose country is one of the mediators in the indirect negotiations on a truce, received a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya, member of the Islamist movement’s political bureau, according to a Foreign Affairs press release in Doha. It is unusual for the Prime Minister of Qatar, also Minister of Foreign Affairs, to become publicly involved in the mediation process. Negotiations are currently at an impasse.
Hamas and Israel once again accused each other of blocking truce negotiations
“During the meeting, the latest developments in the ceasefire negotiations were discussed, as well as ways to ensure a clear and comprehensive agreement that ends the war,” the statement added. At the beginning of December, Sheikh Mohammad said he had seen “new momentum” for these negotiations after the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. He reported “a lot of encouragement from the new administration to reach an agreement.”
The rest after this ad
The rest after this ad
For more than a year, Qatar has been engaged alongside the United States and Egypt in negotiations with a view to a truce and the release of hostages still held in Gaza since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. against Israel, which started the war. New negotiations took place earlier in December in Doha, but Hamas and Israel again accused each other of stopping them.
Despite intense diplomatic efforts, no truce has been concluded since the one-week truce at the end of November 2023, which allowed the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The October 7 attack led to the death of more than 1,200 people on the Israeli side, the majority of them civilians, according to an AFP count based on official figures. That day, 251 people were kidnapped. Among them, 96 remain hostages in Gaza, including 34 declared dead by the army.
The rest after this ad
The rest after this ad
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and launched a devastating military campaign that has killed more than 45,450 Palestinians in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to Hamas’ health ministry. It also caused a humanitarian disaster in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Related News :