Hamas communicated its position to all mediators, asserting that any proposals would be disregarded unless the Israeli aggression on Gaza stopped.
Qatar has stepped forward with new proposals to reinstate a captives exchange deal between Israel and Hamas as a high-level Qatari delegation has been actively engaging in exploratory discussions with Israeli officials, according to a Palestinian source, speaking to Xinhua news agency.
The unannounced meetings, which commenced on December 16 in Norway, are part of Qatar’s concerted efforts, in coordination with Egypt, to revive the swap deal between Israel and Hamas.
The ultimate objective is to establish new understandings for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
According to the source, Qatar is advocating for the release of three senior Israeli officers in exchange for several Palestinian prisoners currently serving life sentences in Israeli prisons.
The talks have primarily focused on the exchange of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
In return, Hamas is demanding several days of humanitarian truce in Gaza, coupled with the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli captivity.
This renewed diplomatic push by Qatar comes after three Israeli hostages were accidentally killed by the Israeli army in Gaza. This has exponentially increased the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, especially in Tel Aviv.
During a press conference in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu acknowledged ongoing dialogues with Qatar and Egypt regarding the hostage release negotiations. However, he expressed “serious criticisms of Qatar,” hinting at possible new developments in these talks.
Netanyahu remains resolute in his stance against Hamas, vowing to continue Israel’s attacks on Gaza as part of the negotiation strategy.
Hamas told the Chinese news agency that it refuses to partake in any new negotiations with Israel until the latter cease its offensive operations in Gaza. The group communicated its position to all mediators, asserting that any proposals will be disregarded unless the Israeli aggression stops.
CIA chief Bill Burns is set to meet with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency in Warsaw.
The meeting, scheduled for Monday, aims to discuss potential new arrangements for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s diplomatic effort to reinstate the humanitarian pause in Gaza continues.
Sheikha Alya Al-Thani, Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, confirmed this in New York, expressing hope for a comprehensive ceasefire agreement.
Her statement came during the 10th emergency special session of the UN General Assembly, focusing on the Israeli illegal actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory.