Reuters Spokesman Majed al-Ansari of Qatar’s Foreign Ministry
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 18:08
The extension of the pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas for one day, agreed this morning, came about at the last minute. This is what the spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed al-Ansari, told NOS.
He provides an insight into the precarious negotiation process and the role that Qatar plays as a mediator.
A few minutes before the temporary truce expired, at 7 a.m. local time, the two sides agreed to a one-day extension. A pause in fighting has been in place since Friday and has been continuously extended. That happened the first time after four days, then after two days and now an extension is being negotiated every day.
Al-Ansari says it is not just the daily extension that is being negotiated. “We’re hoping for momentum now,” he says. “We will start with small pauses in fighting and work towards a longer pause and hopefully a sustainable ceasefire.”
Negotiate 24 hours a day
According to him, the parties negotiate 24 hours a day. This is done, among other things, from the Qatari capital Doha, but there are also contacts in Rafah and Tel Aviv, the spokesperson says. “We haven’t even had an hour off since negotiations started.”
The negotiations are very detailed and the details are therefore not shared with the media. “There’s a lot going on on the ground and any leak could lead to problems on both sides. It could lead to security issues for the hostages.”
Results achieved
Qatar has already achieved the necessary results as a mediator since the outbreak of the war. For example, after mediation by Qatar, the border post in Rafah between Gaza and Egypt was opened several times so that people with a foreign passport could leave Gaza.
International aid has also entered the area from Egypt. And in addition, the oil state plays an important role in freeing Israeli hostages on the one hand and Palestinian prisoners on the other.
Middle East Correspondent Daisy Mohr:
“Doha does not share exactly what is going on behind the scenes with the international media. It is all far too sensitive. There has been a coming and going of international players in Qatar in recent weeks and therefore also the opportunity for the country to strengthen its diplomatic demonstrate capabilities.
Qatar has been working towards this for years, a crucial role on the international stage. Yet it is not new, Qatar’s role as a mediator between countries such as Afghanistan, Iran and the US has been important to the West for some time.
The eyes of the world are now on Qatar and they are actually getting results. This is mainly because they have good communication channels and the necessary credibility with the important players: Hamas, Israel, Iran and the US. They want to be the party that can continue to talk to everyone under all circumstances.
What they are doing now fits in with the international role they envision for themselves: the ultimate negotiator.”
Al-Ansari says he hopes that the negotiations will bring an end to the war. “We are optimistic about the positive way negotiations are taking place.” He hopes to be able to announce an extension of the fighting break later today.
At the moment, the most important thing for him is that women and children are the first to reach safety, “this applies to the hostages but also to people in Gaza. Then men follow and last come the military prisoners,” says Al-Ansari.
2023-11-30 17:08:25
#Qatar #insight #negotiations #Israel #Hamas
