International community must pressure Israel, Hamas to reach agreement to end Gaza war: MoFA spokesperson

Doha, Qatar: Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari called on the international community t...

Doha, Qatar: Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari called on the international community to pressure the Israeli and Palestinian sides to accept US President Joe Biden's internationally-backed proposal to end the war in the Gaza Strip, and reach a prisoner exchange deal between the two sides.

Delivering the MoFA's weekly media briefing, Dr. Al Ansari said that military solutions do not lead to results, stressing the need for both parties to negotiate, and for an urgent humanitarian aid access.

He added that the Qatar-Egypt-US sponsored negotiations round between Hamas and the Israeli occupation forces is closely linked to the principles set by President Biden in his last speech. He added that both sides now have clear ideas on the table to negotiate.

He added that an Israeli proposal reflecting the principles as stated by President Biden was conveyed to Hamas, and the paper now includes positions closer than before to the positions of the two sides. He noted that all sides were doing their best to put the final touches to reach an agreement.

He added that the State of Qatar had been pressing on unwavering contacts with all parties since the beginning of this round of negotiations. Yet, he said it was difficult to put a time frame for these negotiations, because they are linked to many on-the-ground situations , and that what can be done is to always emphasize and focus on the need to reach an immediate ceasefire deal.