DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has said that good progress was made in weekend talks with the US, Israeli and Egyptian spy chiefs on a way forward toward a new Israel-Hamas hostage release deal and a ceasefire in Gaza.
“Negotiations to free hostages taken by Hamas have made progress, and we are in a much better place than where we were a few weeks ago,” Sheikh Mohammed told the Atlantic Council in Washington on Monday.
With Qatar playing a mediator’s role, he said, the effort has moved “to a place that potentially might lead to a cease-fire permanently in the future”.
“The framework for a deal that could lead to a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza is being put to the Hamas leadership,” the PM said.
“We cannot say that this will make us in better shape very soon. But we are hoping actually to relay this proposal to Hamas and to get them to a place where they engage positively and constructively in the process. We think that in today’s world, that’s the only game in town now,” the PM said.
He added, “We don’t know and we cannot predict what the Hamas response will be, and we are sure that we will be faced with some challenges and obstacles.”
He pointed out that the current stage of the talks could lead to a permanent ceasefire in the future, confirming that Doha is not a part of the war and is seeking to narrow the gap between the parties.
He emphasized that the intensity of the war has made the situation more complicated, stating that the discussions have moved to a point that could lead to a ceasefire.
The PM confirmed that Qatar is a mediator and is trying to bridge the gap, and they cannot impose anything on any party.
Sheikh Mohammed said he hoped US retaliation for an attack that killed three US troops in Jordan would not undercut progress toward a new Israel-Hamas hostage release deal in weekend talks.
“I express my condolences to the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the death of the US troops in Jordan. I hope that nothing would undermine the efforts that we are doing or jeopardize the process," Sheikh Mohammed said.