DOHA: Qatar has confirmed it remains awaiting Israel’s official response to a proposed Gaza truce and hostage release agreement that Hamas accepted more than one week ago.
Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari stated during a regular news conference that mediators continue to expect Israel’s formal answer to the ceasefire framework.
“The statements that we are hearing right now do not fill us with confidence,“ Ansari commented regarding recent Israeli political statements about the negotiations.
Qatar and Egypt have been mediating indirect ceasefire talks alongside the United States throughout the Gaza conflict, though previous temporary truces have failed to produce lasting peace.
The current proposal involves an initial 60-day ceasefire period with staggered exchanges of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention facilities.
Israel has consistently demanded the immediate release of all hostages held in Gaza rather than accepting a phased approach to prisoner exchanges.
Hamas confirmed its acceptance of the new ceasefire proposal last week following negotiation rounds held in Cairo among the various parties involved.
The proposal follows the basic structure of a deal initially suggested by US envoy Steve Witkoff and closely resembles terms Israel had previously approved according to Qatari officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last week that he had instructed negotiators to pursue talks securing “the release of all our hostages and the end of the war under conditions acceptable to Israel”.
Netanyahu simultaneously reaffirmed plans for Israeli military forces to launch a new offensive operation aimed at capturing Gaza City from Hamas control.
Ansari emphasised that mediators do not “take seriously” any announcements made outside the formal negotiation process between the involved parties.
“The responsibility now lies on the Israeli side to respond to an offer that is on the table,“ the Qatari spokesman stated clearly during the briefing.
Ansari characterised any statements beyond direct negotiation responses as “political posturing by the Israeli side” rather than substantive engagement with the proposal.
Regarding the planned Israeli military operation in Gaza City, Ansari expressed concern that Qatar does not see “a positive trajectory coming out of this escalation on the ground”. – AFP
