Witkoff met with Qatari officials in Paris over Gaza deal: Axios
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Talks remain stalled due to "Israel's" stance, sources say.
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Palestinians look at the destruction caused by the Israeli war on Gaza, in the central Gaza Strip, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025 (AP)
US Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, held a meeting in Paris with senior Qatari officials on Thursday, where they discussed the efforts to reach a deal concerning Gaza, Axios reported on Thursday.
According to two sources familiar with the talks, the discussions involved a deal to release all remaining captives held by Hamas in exchange for an end to the war on Gaza.
The sources added that the meeting took place around the same time that Israeli Minister Ron Dermer held calls on Wednesday with Qatari officials and with Witkoff to discuss the same matter, with the sources noting that the negotiations have not made any progress so far, mainly due to "Israel's" position.
Mediators urge a ceasefire while 'Israel' refuses
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said on September 2 that mediators had not yet received "Israel's" formal response to the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal, warning that the Israeli plan to occupy Gaza endangers all parties, including the Israeli captives, while rendering "peace efforts" unviable.
On August 26, a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that Hamas accepted terms identical to those accepted by "Israel" previously; however, Tel Aviv refused to issue a formal response, noting that the ball was in "Israel's" court and its stance reflected an unwillingness to reach a ceasefire agreement.
"Israel" has neither formally accepted nor rejected the proposal nor presented an alternative, prompting Qatar to urge the international community to pressure Tel Aviv into taking a clear position.
During a meeting held on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia on September 1, the Foreign Minister of Egypt, Badr Abdelatty, and Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, stressed the urgent need for "an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, an end to the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, and the urgent, unconditional delivery of humanitarian, relief, and medical aid."
Abdelatty and Safadi also called on the international community, especially major powers, to fulfill their duty to end the aggression and to seriously engage with the underlying causes of the war. They further warned that regional stability is impossible while what they described as Israeli arrogance persists in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
