With intensified Israeli operations in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani confirmed that the Israeli operation in Rafah has set back ceasefire negotiations. He added in statements today, Tuesday, that his country continues to play a mediating role between Israel and Hamas, noting that they have not halted mediation despite the challenges.
He also clarified that talks for a ceasefire in Gaza have reached a deadlock, while pointing out the possibility of reaching a truce within days. However, he stated that Israel's position regarding the end of the war is unclear.
These statements coincided with intensified military operations by Israel in Rafah, where Israeli tanks penetrated east of the city this morning and entered the neighborhoods of Al-Jineneh, Al-Salam, and Al-Brazil.
The latest round of negotiations, mediated by Washington, Doha, and Cairo, aimed to establish a ceasefire that includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Meanwhile, Hamas announced that it agreed to a proposal from the mediators regarding the ceasefire, but Israel viewed it as "far from its demands."
Hamas also considered President Joe Biden’s statements on linking a ceasefire to the release of hostages as a "reversal" of the results from the last round of negotiations, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "overturning" the course of the talks. Cairo hosted several rounds of negotiations to reach a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas with the presence of American and Qatari mediators, but no results have been achieved.
