The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Majed al Ansari, was optimistic this Tuesday about the talks between the parties, who continue talking to reach a truce agreement in Gaza, but pointed out that So far there is no “clear position” from Israel and Hamas before the current proposal.
(Also read: One by one: we explain how the three phases of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas presented by the United States would work)
“We see a positive moment with the current proposal on the table. But we have seen contradictory statements coming from Israeli ministers (…) So far we do not have a clear position from the parties,” said the official from Qatar, the main mediator between Israel and Hamas along with the United States and Egypt, in a press conference from Doha.
An Israeli army tank takes position in southern Israel, near the border with the Gaza Strip.
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The second phase would include “the permanent end of hostilities” and the release of the rest of the hostages, including soldiers, and, according to Biden, would require intense dialogue to agree on a definitive ceasefire, while in a third phase the reconstruction of the territory will be addressed.
(You may be interested: Are Hamas and Israel willing to accept the truce plan in Gaza announced by Joe Biden? These are their positions)
Although the American president attributed the initiative to Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stressed that the draft presented was “partial” and said that they were going to continue their offensive until they achieved “all their objectives.”
One of them, Netanyahu said, is the “destruction” of Hamas in retaliation for the attack launched by the Islamist group against southern Israel on October 7.
The plan was announced last week by US President Joe Biden.
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What do the parties think of the document?
For this reason, the Qatari indicated that blame should not be placed on a specific party in these negotiations, after the president of the United States, Joe Biden, said that “Hamas is the only obstacle to reaching a complete ceasefire” after presenting the current truce proposal.
(Also: ‘Proposal presented by Joe Biden is incomplete’: Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, on the truce plan in Gaza)
What we need is for the international community to pressure both sides to accept the proposal and to end this immediately
He also clarified that Qatar’s mediation will continue, despite the fact that the Gulf country that hosts the Hamas political office warned a few weeks ago that it could withdraw from its role as intermediary, “until a final agreement is reached in which a ceasefire and begin the reconstruction of
Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Netanyahu’s spokesman, David Mencer, also indicated that the draft presented by Biden was “partial” and that it contemplates temporarily stopping the war “with the aim of achieving the return of the hostages.”
While Hamas is not convinced of the second phase of the truce plan, as they consider it ambiguous and without a solid commitment from the US that the war will not indeed be resumed.
But different countries are pressing to achieve a truce. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt issued a statement on Monday supporting the latest diplomatic effort for a truce and stressed “the importance of seriously and positively addressing the US president’s proposal.”
This Monday, Biden also spoke by phone with the emir of Qatar, Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, and assured him that Israel is “ready to move forward.” with the proposed truce in Gaza for the exchange of Israeli hostages in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
He also took the opportunity to ask Qatar to use its influence over Hamas so that the Palestinian Islamist group also approves the ceasefire proposal.
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