The Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, has shared that Hamas has provided a response to the proposal aimed at securing the release of more hostages currently held in Gaza, as well as establishing a lasting cessation of hostilities. This was announced during a press conference he attended along with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Doha.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated, “I would like to inform the media that we have received a response from Hamas regarding the general framework of the hostage deal. The response contains some comments, but in general, it is positive. However, due to the sensitive nature of the circumstances surrounding this issue, we will not be discussing the details at this time.”
The Qatari Prime Minister also mentioned that he had forwarded the response from Hamas to Israel, expressing optimism about the situation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was present during the announcement, confirmed that the United States is currently assessing Hamas’ response.
Blinken further added that he will be discussing the matter with the Israeli government the following day. He reaffirmed that the proposal that had been presented to Hamas was a serious one and not merely a reiteration of the previous agreement. Instead, it aims to expand upon it.
While acknowledging that there is still a significant amount of work that needs to be done, Blinken expressed his belief in the possibility and absolute necessity of reaching an agreement. He assured that they will continue to work tirelessly in their efforts to achieve it. Blinken made these statements at the same press conference in Doha.
