Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said on Wednesday that there is a clear and firm call to end the war in Gaza.
The current proposal for a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave is the best way to bridge gaps between Hamas and Israel, he added.
“We are witnessing a shift in this conflict in the recent period and there is a clear and firm call to end this war,” Sheikh Mohammed said during a press conference in Doha with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Asked about Israel and Hamas’ commitment to the current proposal, he said both sides need to be pressured to reach an agreement and both have been counterproductive.
Blinken vowed to keep pressing to seal a Gaza ceasefire deal, saying that not all Hamas demands were acceptable but voicing hope that gaps could be closed.
Consulting with key mediator Qatar on the Hamas response to President Joe Biden’s plan, Blinken said Hamas could have given a “clear and simple yes” but voiced guarded hope for moving forward.
Of the demands of Hamas, Blinken said “some of the changes are workable, some are not.”
“We’re determined to try to bridge the gaps. And I believe those gaps are bridgeable,” Blinken said. “That doesn’t mean they will be bridged because, ultimately, Hamas has to decide,” he said.
“The longer this goes on, the more people will suffer, and it’s time for the haggling to stop.”
