The special envoy for the Middle East of US President-elect Donald Trump spoke in Doha with the Prime Minister of Qatar about mediation efforts for a truce in the Gaza Strip, according to a press release from Qatari diplomacy .
Discussions Friday between Steve Witkoff and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdelrahmane Al-Thani “focused on the latest developments in the region, particularly efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip “, the statement said, without providing further details.
Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas resumed last weekend in Qatar with a view to a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory, focused immediately on the release of hostages kidnapped during the attack without precedent of the Palestinian Islamist movement on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023.
As Donald Trump’s inauguration approaches, outgoing President Joe Biden reported Thursday “real progress” in negotiations on the release of hostages held in Gaza.
-Before him, his Secretary of State Antony Blinken had affirmed on Wednesday, during a visit to Paris, that an agreement was “very close” for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.
For his part, Donald Trump recently promised “hell” to the region if the hostages were not released before his return to power on January 20.
Despite intense diplomatic efforts led under the aegis of Qatar, Egypt and the United States, no truce has been concluded in Gaza since that of a week at the end of November 2023, which allowed the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
