Qatar says hopes to push Hamas, Israel to next talks phase 'very soon'

Doha, Qatar: Gaza talks mediator Qatar said on Tuesday it hoped Israel and Hamas could be brought to a new phase of negotiations for a peace deal in t...

Doha, Qatar: Gaza talks mediator Qatar said on Tuesday it hoped Israel and Hamas could be brought to a new phase of negotiations for a peace deal in the Palestinian territory following their October ceasefire agreement.

“We think that we should be pushing the parties to stage two very, very soon,” Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said.

“That includes, of course, the issues that are complicating the situation, like the fighters in the tunnels behind the Yellow Line, like the incidents that take place every couple of days,” he added.

Qatar, alongside the United States and Egypt secured a long-elusive truce in Gaza, which came into effect on October 10 and has mostly halted two years of fighting between Israel and Hamas.

During the first phase of the Gaza peace plan, initially outlined by US President Donald Trump, Hamas and its allies were due to return all 48 hostages they held captive, 20 of whom were still alive.