DaysofPal- Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Majed Al-Ansari, announced that negotiations for a Gaza Strip ceasefire are in their “final stages,” while cautioning against premature excitement. “Until there is an announcement, we shouldn’t be overexcited about what’s happening right now.”
During a weekly press briefing on Tuesday in Doha, Al-Ansari stated, “We will not go into details, but the draft has been delivered to the two parties and talks are now underway on the final details.”
He emphasized that “there is no time limit for announcing the agreement, but we remain optimistic,” while elaborating that discussions on the pending details, primarily related to implementation, are ongoing.
Al-Ansari highlighted “positive engagement by both parties in the negotiations” and expressed hope that implementation would begin shortly after the agreement is finalized. He reiterated Qatar’s position, emphasizing the necessity of ending the Israeli occupation and noting, “Talking about how to manage Gaza after the agreement is a Palestinian decision.”
He further emphasized that the mediators will serve as “guarantors of the agreement,” acknowledging the efforts of both the Biden and Trump administrations in facilitating a “final round” of talks aimed at achieving a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange.
The French News Agency reported that Tuesday’s Doha meetings aimed to finalize the remaining details of the deal, with the participation of Mossad head David Barnea, U.S. envoys Brett McGurk and Steve Witkoff, and Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Al-Ansari remarked, “We found support for the Qatari mediation internationally and regionally… and we are not concerned with Israeli domestic politics except in what affects the course of the negotiations.”
According to Egyptian sources cited by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, preparations are underway to operate the Rafah Crossing for humanitarian aid delivery and the exchange of prisoners.
Humanitarian supplies and fuel are expected to enter Gaza on the first day of the ceasefire, while patient evacuations are slated to begin a week later. Mobile homes, tents, and rubble-clearing equipment will also be dispatched.
Proposed agreement details
On Monday, Qatar submitted a draft agreement for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, aiming to end the 15-month-long conflict in Gaza.
The draft outlines a three-stage process, with the first phase involving the release of 33 Israeli captives, including children, women, female soldiers, men over 50, and those who are wounded or sick. If the first phase goes as planned, negotiations on a second phase will begin on the 16th day after the agreement enters into force.
During the second phase, the remaining living captives, including soldiers and men of military age, will be released, in addition to the return of the bodies of captives killed in Israeli raids.
The third and final phase will deal with long-term arrangements, including discussions on an alternative government in the Gaza Strip and plans for its reconstruction.
Hamas said it has informed the leaders of the Palestinian factions about the progress of the negotiations to halt the war of extermination in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Movement said that it had conducted a series of contacts and consultations with the leaders of the factions, updating them on the progress made in the ongoing negotiations in Doha.
The leaders of the national forces and factions expressed their satisfaction with the progress of the negotiations, stressing the need for general national readiness for the next phase and its requirements.
Hamas leaders and various forces reiterated their commitment to ongoing consultations until the accomplishment of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, which has reached its final stages, expressing their hope that this round of negotiations will lead to a clear and comprehensive agreement.
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