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Qatari PM: Odds of forging Israel-Hamas deal ‘low’

The Israel Defense Forces is expected to increase pressure in the Strip in the “coming days” if there is no progress in negotiations.

By JNS

The chances for a hostage-and-ceasefire agreement with the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza are “low,” Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Sunday.

“There is no common goal between the sides, and in my opinion, the chances are low,” the Qatari premier told reporters at a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Doha.

“We are trying to push toward a common goal,” Mohammed added saying he noticed some progress in the negotiations after Hamas terrorists met with mediators in Cairo on Thursday, and that his government would continue its push for a renewed ceasefire.

Fidan claimed that Hamas was willing to accept an agreement beyond a mere ceasefire and was aiming to discuss a long-term solution for Gaza.

The Turkish foreign minister said that recent talks hosted by his government showed Hamas would be more willing to sign an agreement that also addresses other issues, adding that the war could be turned into an opportunity to implement a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Mossad Director David Barnea traveled to Qatar on Thursday amid renewed attempts to free the remaining 59 Israeli captives held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza for almost 570 days.

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The Israel Hayom newspaer on Sunday cited sources familiar with the negotiations as saying that Doha supported Hamas in rejecting the latest US proposal.

The Israel Defense Forces is expected to increase pressure in the Strip in the “coming days” if there is no progress in negotiations, according to the report.

The plan has not received final approval as Israeli officials want to give another chance for negotiations to progress, it noted.

Qatar reportedly exerted counter-pressure on Hamas not to accept the proposal, claiming it could get a better deal from Israel if it were patient, including the release of all hostages in exchange for ending the war.

The terms, reportedly including a multi-year truce with international guarantees, as well as the rehabilitation of Gaza, would preserve Hamas rule in the Strip. Israel’s war goals include the destruction of Hamas’s “military” and governmental powers.