Major progress has been made on the Gaza ceasefire agreement after Qatar reportedly threatened to expel Hamas leaders from Doha unless the group changes course in truce talks.
Negotiations for a ceasefire agreement have been going on for weeks, but they have reached an impasse, with Hamas demanding a temporary cessation of hostilities in Gaza and a pledge to end the war.
Qatar, which is acting as a mediator in the negotiations along with Egypt and the United States, has warned Hamas that leaders living in Qatar will be expelled unless Hamas changes its attitude in the negotiations. times of israel Wednesday’s report quoted an unnamed senior Arab diplomat as saying.
The apparent breakthrough comes after a report arab tv Hamas accepts modified version of US Gaza ceasefire proposal.
A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that the group’s representatives were expected to travel to Cairo for talks to discuss final details of the deal within days. arab tv Tuesday. Hamas later issued a statement denying the report.
The White House has urged Hamas to release women, elderly and injured hostages in Gaza and accept a temporary ceasefire to secure a more lasting one.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday that “a ceasefire is on the table today and a six-week ceasefire would become a more durable ceasefire if Hamas simply releases the women, the wounded and the elderly.”
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Ansari expressed concern about the lack of progress in ceasefire talks but said Doha remained “hopeful”.
“We are not close to an agreement yet, which means we do not see agreement between the two sides on language that would resolve differences in the implementation of the current agreement,” he told a news conference on Tuesday.
He added that the parties “continue to work hard to negotiate with the hope of reaching an agreement during Ramadan” but said he could “not provide any timetable” for an agreement and that the conflict “remains very complex on the scene”.
Israel has reportedly accepted the terms of a six-week framework agreed after the Paris talks, under which hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange for a number of hostages held by Hamas since an attack on southern Israel on October 7, including 1,200 people were killed.
During a week-long truce in November, Hamas released more than 100 Israeli and foreign hostages in exchange for Israel releasing about 240 Palestinian prisoners. Some 130 hostages are believed to still be in Gaza.
Hamas has refused to accept a deal unless there were guarantees of a permanent ceasefire, an end to the war and a guaranteed withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to expand Israel’s offensive in Gaza to the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge, and to continue fighting until Hamas is destroyed.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed in the five months of war and many of the population of 2.3 million have been forced from their homes.
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