Mediators urging 'Israel' on Hamas' ceasefire demands: Reports

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Financial Times
26 Jan 2024 16:15
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Doha's recent proposal reportedly involves a proposed month-long truce in the Gaza Strip, aiming for a gradual release of the Israeli captives.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani looks on as he waits for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Lusail on October 13, 2023. (AFP)

Qatar, Egypt, and the United States are currently engaged in efforts to persuade "Israel" to agree to Hamas' conditions for a permanent ceasefire, The Financial Times reported citing sources familiar with the negotiations.

This initiative is part of ongoing negotiations that have encountered an impasse, primarily due to the Israeli position.

Doha's recent proposal involved a proposed month-long truce in the Gaza Strip, aiming for a gradual release of the Israeli captives.

The Financial Times further reported that Hamas sought to use the agreement as a basis for a future permanent ceasefire in Gaza. However, "Israel" rejected Hamas' insistence on a continuous ceasefire, leading to a deadlock in the negotiations, as per the report.

"Israel rejected ... the ceasefire at the end. That was the Israelis' last feedback to Qatar … Hamas said everything else is fine, but there has to be a permanent ceasefire at the end. Now the mediators are working on the Israelis to convince them to accept a permanent ceasefire, including the Americans," one of the people familiar with the talks said as quoted by The Financial Times.

It is worth noting that Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani is anticipated to meet with the heads of the US, Egyptian, and Israeli intelligence agencies in Europe in the coming days. The purpose of this meeting is to explore potential avenues for revitalizing the stalled negotiations, as mentioned by a source familiar with the ongoing talks, The Financial Times further reported.

Diplomatic tensions between 'Israel', Qatar as negotiations halted

Earlier this week, tensions escalated between Qatar and "Israel" amid ongoing negotiations for the release of Israeli captives in Gaza. The Qatari government slammed the Israeli occupation's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of jeopardizing the ongoing talks.

The crisis unfolded after Netanyahu criticized Qatar during a meeting with the families of the captives earlier this week, Israeli journalist Barak Ravid wrote on X. The Qatari government contends that such criticism could seriously undermine the delicate negotiations for the release of the hostages.

Ravid noted that the confrontation occurred at a crucial juncture while Qatar and Egypt were working to facilitate a breakthrough in negotiations between the Israeli occupation forces and the Palestinian resistance.

The rift deepened after Yaron Avraham, a Channel 12 presenter, published remarks attributed to Netanyahu in which he had allegedly expressed dissatisfaction with the recent US-Qatar agreement, signed a few weeks ago, extending the American military presence at a significant base in Qatar, Ravid adds.

In response to the critical remarks attributed to Netanyahu, a spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, Majed al-Ansari, strongly condemned Netanyahu's words, labeling them as irresponsible and harmful to efforts aimed at "saving lives."