Qatar aims to move Israel and Hamas to a new negotiation phase soon, addressing complex issues like tunnel fighters and hostage remains to advance the Gaza peace process.
DOHA: Qatar hopes to push Israel and Hamas into a new phase of negotiations for a Gaza peace deal soon.
Foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said on Tuesday that mediators should be pushing the parties to stage two “very, very soon”.
He said this next phase must address issues complicating the situation, including fighters in tunnels beyond the Israeli withdrawal line.
The so-called Yellow Line marks the point to which Israeli troops have withdrawn inside Gaza.
Dozens of Hamas fighters remain in tunnels beyond that line, though Israel says it has been targeting them.
Qatar, alongside the United States and Egypt, secured a truce that came into effect on October 10.
This agreement has mostly halted two years of fighting.
During the first phase, Hamas and its allies were due to return all 48 hostages they held.
All but the bodies of two hostages, Ran Gvili and Sudthisak Rinthalak, remain in Gaza.
Israel has accused Palestinian militants of dragging their feet on handing over the remains.
Hamas has said retrieving bodies is slow due to the vast rubble left by the war.
Ansari acknowledged the logistical situation in Gaza makes reaching this result difficult.
He added that the return of the remains should not hinder progress to stage two.
Under the second phase, Israel is to withdraw from its positions in the territory.
An interim authority is to govern Gaza and an international stabilisation force deployed.
Hamas is also supposed to disarm under the plan, with members who decommission weapons allowed to leave.
The militant group has repeatedly rejected this proposition.
