World

Qatar, Egypt Trying to Convince Hamas to Soften Its Demands for Deal With Israel - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel held a meeting with Hamas representatives in an attempt to convince the Palestinian movement to soften its demands for a ceasefire deal, media reported, citing sources.
Sputnik
In particular, the negotiators are trying to force Hamas to lessen its new demands for the release of Palestinian prisoners serving sentences in Israeli prisons, the report said on Wednesday.
A senior Israeli official told the news portal that he does not believe that the meeting in Doha can change the situation in the negotiations on the deal.
At the same time, Hamas confirmed that its delegation met with the Qatari prime minister and the head of Egyptian intelligence in the Qatari capital of Doha to discuss the Gaza conflict.
"The movement's readiness to immediately implement the ceasefire agreement was emphasized, based on the statement by [US President Joe] Biden made on May 31, 2024, Security Council Resolution 2735 and what was agreed on July 2, 2024, without setting any new demands. The movement rejects any new conditions for this agreement from any of the parties," the movement said in a statement.
World
Hamas Agreed to Ceasefire Conditions in May, But Netanyahu Deliberately Jeopardized Deal - Reports
On October 7, 2023, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. In addition, Hamas fighters infiltrated the border areas, opened fire on the military and civilians and took hostages. Israeli authorities say that about 1,200 people were killed during the raid. The IDF launched Operation Iron Swords in the Gaza Strip and announced a complete blockade of the enclave. The enclave's health ministry says that the death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has exceeded 41,000.
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