In the latest development from the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, Qatar on Thursday (Feb 1) revealed that the Palestinian militant group has given “initial positive confirmation” to a proposal for the cessation of fighting in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages.
“The meeting in Paris succeeded in consolidating the proposals…,” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said of talks Qatari, US, Israeli and Egyptian officials had on Sunday.
“That proposal has been approved by the Israeli side and now we have an initial positive confirmation from the Hamas’ side.”
Ansari stated that there were hopes of “good news” about a new pause in the fighting “in the next couple of weeks”.
However, the Hamas group stated that there was no consensus yet on the proposed plan.
“There is no agreement on the framework of the agreement yet, the factions have important observations, and the Qatari statement is rushed and not true,” the news agency AFP quoted a source close to Hamas as saying.
The Qatari foreign ministry spokesman said there was “still a very tough road in front of us”.
“We are optimistic because both sides now agreed to the premise that would lead to a next pause,” said Ansari.
“We’re hopeful that in the next couple of weeks, we’ll be able to share good news about that,” he added.
On Sunday, mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar met with Israeli intelligence officials in Paris where they proposed a six-week pause in the Gaza war and a hostage-prisoner exchange for Hamas to review.
Qatar has played a pivotal role in the negotiations, having previously brokered a hostage release deal in November.
Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The militants also seized around 250 hostages, with Israel reporting that about 132 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 28 deceased captives.
The ensuing Israeli military offensive, in response to the attacks, has led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis with at least 26,422 killed in Gaza, as per the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
The negotiations in Paris signify a critical step towards a potential ceasefire and resolution of the ongoing conflict.
(With inputs from agencies)
