(MENAFN) Qatar announced Tuesday that indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitating a hostage exchange are actively continuing.

“The meetings are ongoing in Doha regarding Gaza, and there is no deadlock,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari stated during a press briefing.

“There is intensive daily communication either in Doha, the US, or Egypt to intensify efforts to reach an agreement,” he added.

Al-Ansari clarified that the discussions are being conducted separately with each party—Hamas and Israel—in hopes of establishing a framework agreement.

The indirect talks began on July 6 in Doha, the Qatari capital, focusing on brokering a ceasefire and arranging a prisoner swap between the two sides.

Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed cautious optimism about the process, commenting that the negotiating parties are "closer than we've been in quite a while."

Al-Ansari also delivered sharp criticism of Israeli actions in the region, calling for a global response to halt what he described as escalating instability caused by Israel.

“We cannot accept the absence of accountability for the reckless Israeli behavior in the region, not only to stop the massacre in Gaza and violations in the West Bank but also Israel’s presence in southern Lebanon and attacks on Lebanon and Syria,” he said.

He warned that Israel’s “reckless” conduct now poses a broader threat, extending into the Gulf and directly affecting Qatar amid recent flare-ups between Israel and Iran.

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