Qatar to discuss Gaza peace plan with Hamas, Turkiye

DOHA: Qatar said it was set to hold talks with Hamas negotiators and Turkiye Tuesday to discuss US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying Hamas would study it “responsibly”.

Separately, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani told Al Jazeera that several points in Trump’s plan for Gaza require clarification and negotiation.

On the other hand, Trump on Tuesday said Hamas militants have about three or four days to respond to his Gaza peace plan proposal or face the consequences.

“The (Hamas) negotiating delegation promised to study it responsibly,” Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, told a press conference. He added: “there will also be another meeting today, also attended by the Turkish side, with the negotiating delegation.”

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“It is still too early to speak about responses, but we are truly optimistic that this plan, as we said, is a comprehensive one,” al-Ansari said.

TRUMP DEADLINE

Trump told reporters as he departed the White House that Israeli and Arab leaders had accepted the plan and “we’re just waiting for Hamas”.

He said Hamas has about “three or four days” to respond.

“Hamas is either going to be doing it or not, and if it’s not, it’s going to be a very sad end,” he said.

SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY

Thani hoped that all parties would “view the plan constructively and seize the opportunity to end the war”.

“We explained to Hamas during our meeting yesterday that our primary goal is stopping the war,” he said. “Hamas acted responsibly and promised to study the plan.”

He explained that what was presented on Monday was a list of “principles”, “the details of which need to be discussed”, but that Trump’s plan “achieves a primary goal of ending the war”.

SECURITY ASSURANCES

During the press conference, al-Ansari also said the United States had given security assurances to Qatar and Israel promised not to attack it again in a phone call the previous day.

“The security assurances and the commitments that were offered in the call yesterday (Monday) by President Trump and the Israeli prime minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) were very clear and were under the guarantee of the US president that Qatar will never be attacked,” he said.

“We are content with the security assurances that we have received,” he said, adding there had also been “a commitment by Israel not to attack Qatar again in its capacity or otherwise.”

HAMAS IS REVIEWING IT

Earlier, it was reported that Hamas was reviewing the peace plan for Gaza which calls for a ceasefire, release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours, disarmament of Hamas and gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, followed by a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump.

“Hamas has begun a series of consultations within its political and military leaderships, both inside Palestine and abroad,” a Palestinian source said on condition of anonymity.

“The discussions could take several days due to the complexities.”

It’s a developing story. Details to follow.