Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated today, Saturday, that the negotiations held over the past few days to reach a framework agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza "are not very promising." Al Thani noted that reaching a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza "should not be conditioned" on an agreement regarding the release of hostages.
Speaking during the Munich Security Conference, he said, "This is the dilemma we find ourselves in, and unfortunately, many countries have misused it. The idea is that to reach a ceasefire, it is necessary to reach an agreement on the hostages. That should not be a condition." He pointed out that negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip "have not been very promising" in recent days.
Al Thani remarked, "I believe we can reach an agreement very soon. However, the pace that has prevailed in recent days has not been very promising." He added in English, "We will always remain optimistic and will continue to push." He continued, "I cannot go into details of the negotiations, but I believe that if we can address the humanitarian package within the agreement, we can overcome the obstacles."
The Prime Minister of Qatar emphasized that "time is not on our side, and the situation will be very dangerous for the entire region as the situation in Rafah develops."
