Qatar’s prime minister said on Tuesday he had received a “positive” response from Hamas to a deal to release hostages in exchange for an extended pause in fighting in the Gaza Strip.
“We received a response from Hamas regarding the general framework of the hostage agreement. The response includes some comments, but in general it is positive”, said Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, at a joint press conference with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, in Doha.
Qatar, which has been mediating talks with Hamas, has joined efforts with the United States and Egypt with a view to reaching an agreement for a prolonged pause in fighting that would allow for the release of more than 100 hostages held captive in Gaza since the October 7th attacks.
Blinken, who is on a diplomatic tour of the Middle East for the fifth time, assured that he will inform Israeli authorities of Hamas’ response during his visit to Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
2024-02-07 01:00:57