The Prime Minister of Qatar announces “some progress” in the negotiations for the cessation of the war in the Gaza Strip: “We must find an answer”
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. Photo: Karim Jaafar / AFP / Profimedia
The Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman of Thani, said on Sunday that some progress has been made in efforts to reach a new armistice in Gaza, but an agreement between Israel and Hamas for the conclusion of the war remains far away, Reuters reports.
“On Thursday I saw a little progress to other meetings, but we must find an answer to the essential question: how we conclude this war. This is the key point of all the negotiations,” said Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Foreign Minister.
According to Axios, the director of Mossad, David Barnea, traveled to Doha on Thursday to talk to Sheikh Mohammed about a possible new armistice.
The sheik did not provide details about the aspects of which progress has been made, but said that Israel and Hamas are in disagreement on the final goal of the negotiations. He said that Hamas is willing to free all the remaining Israeli hostages if Israel ends the war in Gaza, while Israel demands the release of hostages without proposing a clear vision of the conflict.
“When there is no common goal between the parties, I think the chances of completing the war become very small,” said Sheikh Mohammed, in a press conference in Doha with Turkey Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Fidan said that the discussions held by Turkish officials with Hamas have shown that the group would be more open to an agreement that would overcome a simple armistice in Gaza and follow a sustainable solution to the crisis with Israel.
A Turkish diplomatic source said Fidan had met in Doha with Hamas leaders to discuss negotiations on the armistice and humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“Hamas representatives said they continue their efforts for a lasting armistice,” the source said, adding that Turkey will maintain international and bilateral peace efforts in Gaza.
Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18, after the January armistice collapsed, and announced that it would continue the pressure on Hamas until the release of all the hostages still in the enclave. It is estimated that about 24 of them are still alive.
