Gaza Ceasefire Talks In Final Stages: Mofa Spokesperson

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Irfan Bukhari | The Peninsula

Doha, Qatar: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari has said talks on Gaza ceasefire deal have reached the final stages.

“I can confirm that the talks (on Gaza ceasefire deal) are going on the highest level here in Doha right now. We are anticipating updates from those involved in the meetings,” Al Ansari said in a weekly media briefing yesterday.

“We are hopeful that this would lead very soon to an agreement,” Ansari said.“It is important not to raise the expectations to a level that doesn't link to what's happening on the ground right now. We believe that we are at the final stages but obviously until there is an announcement, there will be no announcements and therefore we shouldn't be over excited about what's happening right now.” He added:“We have reached a point where the major issues that were preventing a deal from happening were addressed.”

He further said,“We do believe that we were able to do the negotiations and with our partners in these negotiations in Egypt and the United States to minimise a lot of the disagreements between the parties for the talks that are ongoing now.”

He hoped the talks would lead to an agreement soon. “We hope about some developments obviously as we have said this for months that this war should end as the humanitarian cost of the ongoing war is unbearable and continues to be unbearable for the people of and for the civilian security of this region.”

“We again call on both parties to seriously engage in their negotiations, which is happening right now, and we do applaud the fact that the changes are taking place.”

To a question, Al Ansari said the main reason why Qatar was more optimistic right now was the fact that there were many underlying issues, major unresolved issues between the two parties, which were resolved during the talks in the past couple of weeks.

He added:“Both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration played their role in the past couple of weeks as they have been involved fully in the talks.”

He noted that the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration both were working together here in Doha and beyond in the region to make sure that the deal happens.

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“We appreciate statements by both President Biden and President-elect Trump as this was helpful in pushing the deal forward.”

He further said,“We are of course working with our partners in the US, all through the transition period and making sure that the transition period was useful.

In this case, so we certainly appreciate the role of both, the outgoing and incoming administrations.”

Al Ansari said that Qatar is open to all proposals regarding an appropriate transitional administration in the Gaza Strip with an independent Palestinian decision.

To a question about gurantees for implementation of the cease fire deal, he said the guarantees should encompass mechanisms for the implementation and follow-up and an operations room supervising the implementation.

"The last agreement between the two sides saw a Doha operations room that monitored and ensured appropriate exchange operations and follow-up in the Arab Republic of Egypt, which ensured an aid delivery to the Gaza Strip," he explained.

On Syria, he said that Qatar-operated air bridge would remain in action to provide relief to Syrians, with the 10th Qatari Armed Forces aircraft having landed at Damascus International Airport on Monday, January 13, with about 37 tonnes of food and shelter aid onboard. "The aid from the Qatar Fund for Development takes the total Qatari aid provided to the Syrian people so far to 299 tonnes."

He noted that Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani chaired the State of Qatar's delegation to the Riyadh-hosted expanded ministerial meeting on Syria, on Sunday.

"During the meeting, His Excellency renewed Doha's position supporting Syria's unity, sovereignty and independence, and achieving its people's aspirations for a decent life and a state of institutions and law."

He also highlighted that the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs phone conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, which addressed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, and the latest developments in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations.

"During the call, His Excellency reiterated the State of Qatar's full support for all regional and international efforts aimed at achieving security, peace and stability in the region."

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