Qatar’s Mediation: Negotiations Amidst Warning of Israeli Actions Against Hamas
Watan-Qatar revealed some details about the negotiations hosted by Doha regarding reaching a deal concerning the war Israel is waging on the Gaza Strip.
The spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, Majid Al-Ansari, said in a press conference that it is still too early to talk about any breakthroughs in the negotiations, but he expressed optimism about it.
Qatari Warning
At the same time, Al-Ansari warned that any Israeli attack on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip would negatively affect reaching an agreement, explaining that any operation there would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe and negatively impact the progress of the talks.
Al-Ansari pointed out that the Doha talks focus on humanitarian aid and achieving a temporary ceasefire.
المتحدث باسم الخارجية القطرية: وصول الدفعة العشرين من جرحى الحرب في قطاع #غزة إلى #الدوحة لتلقي العلاج، وأي عملية في #رفح ستؤدي إلى كارثة إنسانية وستؤثر سلبا على سير المحادثات#حرب_غزة pic.twitter.com/EKjrBlE8O1
— قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) March 19, 2024
Negotiations on all Tracks
He stated that negotiations on a prisoner exchange deal have resumed in all their tracks in Doha, adding, “Negotiations are ongoing, and we are cautiously optimistic, with technical teams meeting to discuss some details.”
He clarified that Monday’s meeting was to convey responses between the parties and included Israel’s response to Hamas’s reply.
“We are still in the framework of exchanging proposals and have moved on to technical meetings,” he added.
Start of Doha Negotiations
In a related context, Hebrew media reported that negotiations to reach a deal for a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas officially began with the arrival of the Israeli delegation in Qatar, led by Mossad Chief David Barnea, to Qatar.
Negotiations in Hotel Rooms
Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the negotiations are taking place in a special complex at one of Doha’s hotels.
The channel added that there is a corridor separating the room of the Israeli representatives from the room of Hamas representatives, and it is not expected for them to meet. Qatari and Egyptian mediators will move between the rooms during the talks.
Quoting an unnamed Israeli official, it was mentioned that the negotiations could take about two weeks.
