Mediator Qatar urges clear positions from Hamas, Israel for Gaza ceasefire
Qatar has stressed there should be a clear position from both parties to reach a ceasefire deal.
“We are waiting for a clear Israeli position that represents the entire government in response to the US’ Gaza proposal,” said Majed Al-Ansari, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson.
“The ceasefire deal should immediately end the long suffering of all people in Gaza, and the hostages and their families and provide a roadmap for a permanent ceasefire and an end to the crisis,” he said.
Qatar said that it is still waiting to reach language that is agreed by both parties.
‘No one can have a total win on this war’: Mediator Qatar
Spokesperson Majed al-Ansari says there are “no other options on the ground” to ending the war other than sitting down at the negotiating table and reaching a deal.
“No one can have a total win on this war. I think it’s very clear to the international community that claims that you can wipe out Hamas, or sideline the Palestinian issue altogether will only produce more violence, and that it is unachievable,” he said.
No ‘concrete approvals’ yet on current ceasefire proposal: Mediator Qatar
Speaking at a news briefing in Doha, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari says negotiators have not had “concrete approvals” by either side yet to the proposal on the table.
“We have already seen statements coming from Israeli ministers which doesn’t give us a lot of confidence of there being a unified position on Israel in Israel over this current proposal on the table,” he said. “We can see also that there is a positive momentum building up on both sides.”
Al-Ansari added: “The Israeli government is meeting right now, and there are discussions over accepting the proposals on the table. … We need to, as an international community, to put pressure on both sides to accept the proposals on the ground and end this immediately, which would only happen with all of us working together to make sure that both sides understand they need to get a deal done right now.”
Israel’s Herzog promises to ‘fully support any deal’ leading to captives’ release
President Isaac Herzog says he will “fully support any deal” that leads to the release of the Israeli captives from Gaza and preserves “Israel’s security interests”.
“I repeat my clear and firm position: There is no greater mitzvah [good deed] than the redemption of captives,” he said on X.
