Statements by Majid al-Ansari, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar
Qatar has made important statements on the prisoner swap and ceasefire talks in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, mediated by the US and Egypt. Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majid al-Ansari, speaking to ABC News, emphasized Qatar’s determination to play a mediator role in this process. “In addition to the sessions held in Cairo to bridge the gaps between the parties, Qatar is also determined to play a mediator role in the negotiations recently held in Doha,” Ansari said.
Ansari stated that this is not the first time Qatar has mediated in the negotiations between Hamas and Israel, and that it is unlikely that a similar agreement will be reached between former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, as was the case in the past during the Oslo Accords. Ansari stated that the crisis on the ground is getting worse, and added that this situation has increased the parties’ desire for an agreement and that the negotiation process is ongoing. “Negotiations are being conducted in coordination with other mediators. The transfer of the terms of the agreement reached with one side to the other side is expressed in a certain style,” he said.
Ansari said direct contacts between Hamas and Israel were almost non-existent, adding that Qatar was used to such negotiations and did not think that this would be an obstacle to reaching an agreement. “It is not easy to reach an agreement, but both sides are looking forward to it because of the deteriorating conditions,” he added. “I think everyone involved is interested in reaching an agreement right now because the situation on the ground is getting more and more difficult for everyone,” Ansari said, summing up the current situation.
Despite the mistrust between the parties, Ensari pointed out that the only way to find a solution was through negotiations, and said, “There are many issues that need to be agreed upon before the negotiations end. Despite the many problems between the parties, our “Only hope is that the ceasefire talks continue.”
Drawing attention to the difficulties of mediation, Ansari said, “In the past, the parties have been at such tables under Qatar’s mediation and signed such agreements. However, this is not an easy mediation and the path to peace is not easy either. In Every mediation meeting, when we called our partners in Egypt and the US and of course the Israelis, we were able to establish communication between both parties and then conveyed everything that was discussed in that meeting to the other party in a very specific language. went back and forth constantly to reach an agreement.”
Responding to a question on whether Hamas was physically present in the negotiations, Ansari said, “It is very rare that we see direct negotiations between Hamas and Israel.” He also touched on Israel’s desire to maintain its presence on the Gaza side of the Egyptian border (the Philadelphia Corridor) after the ceasefire and the creation of a corridor in the middle of Gaza separating the north from the south (the Netzarim Corridor), and said, “This was one of the main points of disagreement between both sides, but we are trying to find innovative solutions that will address the concerns of both sides.”
Emphasizing that the humanitarian situation in Gaza has become unbearable, Ansari criticized the situation by saying, “We are talking about more than 40 thousand dead and more than 100 thousand injured people. There is a polio epidemic. This situation is completely inhumane.”
