Qatar intensifies Gaza peace talks

Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Tuesday that negotiations on a truce in the Gaza Strip, conducted with his participation, have intensified with the onset of Ramadan, Report informs via Interfax.

“Attempts at negotiations continue, and now they have intensified during Ramadan,” the Qatari minister said.

He also noted the importance of opening land corridors to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip without any restrictions.

“The sea corridor cannot replace land corridors,” said the Qatari Foreign Minister, commenting on reports that the first ship with humanitarian aid departed on Tuesday morning from a Cyprus port to the Gaza Strip.

Hamas previously did not agree to the terms of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which was worked out at talks in Paris in February, because it does not meet the group's vision of ending the war and allows Israel to continue fighting. In particular, they noted that the agreement does not contain a clause confirming a ceasefire after the end of the truce, and there are no regional or international guarantees that Israel will not resume hostilities after it. Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the United States took part in the Paris negotiations.

On March 3, negotiations for a truce in Gaza involving Egypt, Qatar and the United States continued in Cairo, but there were no reports of any results. Israel did not send a delegation to the Egyptian capital. Israeli authorities said they would not take part in the negotiations because Hamas had not provided clear information about the hostages.