Qatar said on Friday it was continuing mediation efforts to “bridge the gap” between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas to ensure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages held there.
The Emirates, along with the United States and Egypt, have been negotiating for months on the details of a ceasefire in Gaza.
But except for a seven-day pause that began in November, which resulted in the release of more than 100 hostages, there has been no pause in the fighting.
“We have continued our efforts without interruption over the past few days,” Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani said at a joint press conference in Madrid with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.
He said, “Several meetings have been held with the Hamas leadership to bridge differences between the two sides and reach an agreement that would lead to a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.”
The talks are based on a plan presented by US President Joe Biden on May 31, which calls for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza’s “major population centers” and a six-week ceasefire that could be extended if negotiators need more time to reach a lasting agreement.
“Efforts are ongoing, but so far we have not been able to arrive at a formula that we think is most appropriate and closest to what has been presented,” the Qatari prime minister said.
“As soon as that is done, we will be negotiating with the Israeli side to try to bridge the gap and reach an agreement as soon as possible,” he said.
The Gaza war began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,194 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP count based on Israeli official figures.
The militants also took 251 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza, 41 of whom the military says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory strikes have killed at least 37,431 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the regional health ministry.
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