Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari spoke to Fox News in response to Trump’s latest comments on a Gaza takeover.
Qatar is preparing for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and captives-prisoner exchange talks between Hamas and Israel, official foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari told Fox News.
In a televised interview on Wednesday, Al-Ansari said phase two of the talks would begin “any day now”.
He expressed hopes that the negotiations would pave the way for a “more sustainable truce,” which could ultimately lead to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and long-term peace in the region.
“The time for now is to build on the momentum created by the implementation of phase one now, as it is ongoing,” Al-Ansari said.
As per the terms of the ceasefire deal, talks on the second phase of the agreement were slated to begin on February 5, 16 days after the first phase began.
The first phase of the three-phase deal, which started on January 19 and spans 42 days, involves the release of over 1,900 Palestinian detainees in exchange for 33 Israeli captives held in Gaza.
Four captives-prisoner exchanges between Israel and Hamas have taken place since then, with 583 Palestinian prisoners being released.
The second phase involves the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the exchange of the remaining Israeli captives.
According to media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently in the United States for meetings with officials until Saturday, has confirmed he will send a delegation to Qatar on Saturday.
During last Sunday’s press briefing, Trump had reaffirmed his previous calls to Jordan and Egypt to take in Palestinians from Gaza, saying Washington would support resettling Palestinians “permanently“.
When asked on the U.S. plans to forcibly move Palestinians while the Gaza Strip undergoes reconstruction, Al-Ansari pointed to the collective trauma felt by Palestinians when it comes to displacement.
“We know that there is a lot of trauma with the Palestinian side when it comes to displacement,” he said. “However, again, it’s too early to talk about this, because we don’t know how this war will end.”
Trump’s ‘assertiveness’ praised by Al-Ansari
Al-Ansari also hailed the Trump administration as “very instrumental” in getting the ceasefire across.
“If it wasn’t for President Trump’s assertiveness and decisions before even assuming office, we wouldn’t have had this deal that we are working on implementing right now,” he said.
Qatar, a key mediator alongside Egypt, has received numerous “ideas from all parties, including the U.S.,” regarding the future of Gaza, Al-Ansari told Fox News.
He emphasised that these statements, along with others, are part of a broader discussion on the post-war situation.
No single player can address this alone, Al-Ansari said.
“This has to be an international effort led by countries like the U.S. in order for us to have sustainable peace in the region,” he said.
Mediations for a secure region
Trump had previously informed reporters that the U.S. was moving forward with a maximum pressure campaign on Iran, underlining that Washington had clear instructions to “obliterate” Iran if he were targeted in an assassination attempt by Tehran.
When asked about the regional implications of these threats, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson referenced Trump’s calls for a “prosperous and great Iran that is good for its people”. He expressed that Qatar shares these aspirations, seeking stability and security in the region.
“It is through negotiations and mediations that we have done in the past that we have had deals with the U.S. and Israel that made our region more secure,” Al-Ansari told Fox News.
In 2024, Qatar mediated a prisoner swap deal between Iran and the U.S at the Doha International Airport when five American were released in exchange for the unfreezing of $6bn in Iranian assets.
Al Ansari noted that Doha was currently involved in 10 mediation processes that are ongoing simultaneously, including talks between Hamas and Israel.
