Qatar said on Tuesday that talks between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip were in the final stages, with the two sides still far from an agreement but close. But Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari warned at a weekly news conference that there should be no high hopes for a deal.
Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been trying for months to broker a ceasefire, and on Tuesday they reached the stage of detailed negotiations. The deal is finally close to bearing fruit, US President Joe Biden said on Monday in a speech summarizing his foreign policy as he nears the end of his term.
The deal will release hostages, halt attacks and provide security for Israel, President Biden said the agreement would provide “critical humanitarian assistance” to the Palestinian people, who have suffered greatly from the war waged by Hamas. It is unclear whether the agreement will pave the way for the creation of a Palestinian state, which Israel has previously rejected.
