DOHA: Qatar has informed US President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, about ongoing ceasefire talks concerning Gaza.
During a recent meeting in Doha, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani discussed with Witkoff the latest regional developments, focusing on efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, according to Qatar’s foreign ministry.
Earlier this month, Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States, revived talks aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza and securing the release of several Israeli hostages still held in the area.
Qatar confirms that discussions regarding a Gaza truce are continuing.
Diplomatic sources indicate that there is increasing international pressure on both Hamas and Israel to reach an agreement during their indirect negotiations. US President Joe Biden mentioned on Thursday that there has been "real progress" in these discussions.
As for Trump, he has warned Hamas that there will be serious consequences if they do not release the remaining hostages before he takes office on January 20.
However, some analysts believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prefers to finalize any agreement after Trump becomes president rather than during the last days of Biden’s term. Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy, expressed earlier this week that he does not expect significant progress until Trump is in office.
