Momentum has returned to the Gaza peace talks and an agreement is possible before Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, Qatar’s prime minister has said.
Speaking at the annual Doha forum, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said the two key issues were whether there was willingness to have a prisoner hostage exchange, and whether there was a desire to end the war.
He said Qatar had stepped back from its role of mediator a few months ago because some countries were exploiting the process for political reasons, but added: “There had been a lot of encouragement to secure a deal before the president comes to office so we are trying to get things back on track.”
Al Thani implied that he had received assurances from the US president-elect’s advisers about their determination to reach a negotiated settlement. He said: “We have sensed after the election that the momentum is coming back.” Comparing Trump’s approach with that of Joe Biden, he said: “There will be some differences, but we did not see any disagreement on the goal of ending the war. That was very important for us to understand.”
He said the gaps between Hamas and Israel were not substantial, but that he was trying to protect the negotiations because in the past everything had been put into the public domain, leading to disappointment.
It is understood the disagreements between Hamas and Israel largely revolve around whether Israel is prepared to accept that a ceasefire reflects a permanent end to the conflict, and not a temporary respite in which there is an exchange of Palestinian political prisoners and Israeli hostages.
This issue has dogged the talks for months, but the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, may feel his options are more limited if Trump insists he wants the war to be brought to an end. Israel has been silent on its future intentions for the administration of Gaza.
Referring to the spread of the conflict, Al Thani said: “We have been trying to warn everyone in the world that the situation in Gaza is going to expand.”
