Hamas Yet to Respond to Gaza Ceasefire Proposal, Qatar Confirms

Hamas has yet to respond to a proposed ceasefire and prisoner exchange plan in Gaza, as stated by Qatar’s foreign ministry. The announcement was made by the ministry’s spokesman, Majed Al-Ansari, who highlighted that despite ongoing mediation efforts by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt, Hamas is still reviewing the proposal. This comes after a brief pause in hostilities in November, which saw the release of over 100 hostages but failed to halt the fighting. Recent efforts to revive talks include a new three-stage roadmap offered by Israel, as mentioned by US President Joe Biden. While Egypt has signaled optimism about Hamas’s reception to the deal, a senior Hamas official in Beirut dismissed the framework outlined by Biden as unsubstantial. Amid these developments, high-level discussions continue, including a meeting between Hamas representatives and key Qatari and Egyptian officials in Doha, and discussions in Cairo involving Egypt’s Foreign Minister and Biden’s top Middle East adviser.