Israel, Hamas arrive in Qatar for ceasefire talks

The presence of both sides suggests the talks have progressed further than at any time since a major effort in early February, when Israel rejected Hamas' offer of a four-and-a-half-month truce.

Protesters call for the release of hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel on February 26, 2024. Photo: Reuters

After meeting with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said his group had accepted efforts by mediators to find a way to end the war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was ready for a deal and that Hamas must now abandon demands he described as "bizarre" and "from another planet".

“Obviously, we would like to have this deal if we can,” he told the US network Fox News in an interview. “That’s up to Hamas. It’s really their decision now.”

The office of the Emir of Qatar said Mr Al Thani and the Hamas leader discussed Qatar's efforts to broker an "immediate and lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip".

Israel is under pressure from its main ally, the United States, to agree a ceasefire soon to avert a risky Israeli assault on Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip and where more than half of the enclave's 2.3 million people are sheltering.

Momentum behind the ceasefire talks has grown since Friday, when Israeli officials discussed the terms of the hostage release in Paris with delegations from the United States, Egypt and Qatar, but without Hamas.

Peace talks involving delegations from Israel and Hamas will be held this week, first in Qatar and then in Egypt, Egyptian security sources said.

Bui Huy (according to Reuters, CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/co-hoi-ngung-ban-o-gaza-trong-tam-tay-sau-khi-israel-va-hamas-toi-qatar-dam-phan-post285873.html