Qatar’s prime minister says complex negotiations between Hamas and Israel will be postponed until after phase one
Al-Khamisa News Network - Gaza
Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said mediators had decided to postpone discussion of the most complex issues in the Gaza talks because the parties concerned were not ready to address them at this stage.
Al Thani said, in an interview with the The New York Times, that attempting to discuss all files from the outset would have stalled the progress achieved so far, noting that a phased approach to negotiations had helped deliver tangible results, most notably a ceasefire and the release of prisoners.
He added that among the core issues still on the table is the future of Hamas’s weapons, pointing to a “substantial difference between Hamas handing over its weapons to a Palestinian authority or to another entity.”
The Qatari prime minister stressed that the next step should focus on discussing the formation of an international stabilization force, saying Hamas has indicated it is willing to discuss guarantees that it will not constitute a threat to Israel.
