Qatar's prime minister meets with a delegation from Hamas to discuss a truce
A delegation from the pro-independence organization Hamas met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani to seek a "clear and coherent" ceasefire accord to halt the war in Gaza.The gathering took place on Saturday in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Hamas's delegation attended the meeting under the leadership of Khalil al-Hayya, the organization's senior leader. The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided information on this in a statement.
In addition to his role as Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman is Qatar's Foreign Minister. For months, the mediation of ceasefire negotiations had been at a standstill. The Qatari prime minister's recent public participation in the mediation is rare.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement stating, "The meeting reviewed the latest situation of ceasefire negotiations in Gaza." In order to guarantee a clear and cohesive agreement to put a stop to the ongoing violence in the area, discussions were held regarding how to proceed with this procedure.
Qatar's prime minister said earlier this month that he hoped "momentum" had returned to ceasefire talks after Donald Trump won the US presidential election last November. "After the elections, we felt that the momentum is returning," he remarked at the Doha Forum political conference.
"Even before the president takes office, the incoming Trump administration has given great encouragement to reach an agreement," the prime minister of Qatar added.
Although it hasn't happened, Qatar, a Gulf state, has been in talks with the US and Egypt for months regarding a truce and the release of hostages in Gaza.
In November, Doha declared its intention to step down from the mediation position in this case. Talks would continue when Israel and Hamas demonstrate goodwill and sincerity, they declared at the time. However, this month, Doha had informal discussions with Israel and Hamas.
Abcnews24hr.com
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