The chief negotiator for Qatar, Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, has expressed his disappointment over the sluggish progress of peace talks in Gaza.
This comes a month after Israel recommenced its attacks on the Palestinian territory, and another round of negotiations concluded without an agreement.
Al-Khulaifi, in an interview with AFP, voiced his concern over the urgency of the situation, stating, "We're definitely frustrated by the slowness, sometimes, of the process in the negotiation. This is an urgent matter. There are lives at stake here if this military operation continues day by day."
Qatar, in collaboration with the United States and Egypt, had previously brokered a truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect on January 19. This truce brought a halt to over a year of warfare, which was instigated by an attack on Israel by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023. However, the initial phase of the truce ended in early March, with both sides failing to agree on the next steps.
As reported by Breitbart, Hamas has been adamant about holding negotiations for a second phase of the truce, which would lead to a permanent end to the war, as outlined in the January framework. Israel, on the other hand, had called for an extension to the opening phase but resumed air and ground attacks across the Gaza Strip on March 18 after previously halting the entry of aid.
In a recent development, Hamas rejected Israels latest proposal for a 45-day ceasefire. Israel had requested the release of 10 living hostages held by the Palestinian group, according to the militant group. Al-Khulaifi, however, remains committed to the peace process, stating, "We've been working continuously in the last days to try to bring the parties together and revive the agreement that has been endorsed by the two sides. And we will remain committed to this, in spite of the difficulties."
Throughout the lengthy mediation process, Qatar has faced direct criticism from Israel and its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Allegations have been made against at least two of Netanyahus aides, accusing them of receiving payments from the Qatari government to promote Dohas interests in Israel, leading to an Israeli criminal probe. Qatar has dismissed these allegations as a "smear campaign".
In response to Netanyahu's recent remarks that Qatar had promoted "anti-Americanism and anti-Zionism" on U.S. college campuses, Al-Khulaifi retorted, "His claims about Qatars educational partnerships have been repeatedly disproven. Everything we do is transparent."
In addition to its involvement in the Gaza peace talks, Qatar, with Al-Khulaifi at the helm, has also played a significant role in the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The armed M23 group has made a series of rapid gains in the countrys resource-rich east, leading to increased tensions. However, following surprise meetings in Doha between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, both leaders expressed their support for a ceasefire.
Al-Khulaifi highlighted the importance of these meetings, stating, "This meeting happened to really find a pathway towards de-escalation and more of an agreement on an implementation mechanism. We've managed to create this flexible line of communication between the two sides, and we're hoping there are more successes than you can hear within the next days."
Following these meetings, Al-Khulaifi revealed that Qatar had persuaded the M23, Rwanda, and the DRC to "de-escalate" near the strategic mining hub of Walikale. This led to "a process of withdrawing from Walikale to the eastern sides, to Goma. That movement by itself was, in our view, a positive development," he added.
In his future plans, Al-Khulaifi intends to discuss the conflict with the U.S. envoy for Africa, Massad Boulos, in Washington. He also plans to address the issue of ongoing sanctions on Syria following the ousting of president Bashar al-Assad. Qatar is currently discussing an increase in public sector salaries in Syria with regional partners, along with funding for gas supplies to the country. "We're discussing it very closely with our U.S. colleagues to see, how can we move on within this project," Al-Khulaifi concluded.
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