Palestinians prepare to break their fast during the first day of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan sitting amid the ruins of their family house in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on March 11, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by AFP via The Time of Israel
Israel and Hamas are not close to a deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and free hostages, mediator Qatar said on Tuesday, warning that the situation remained "very complicated".
Despite weeks of talks involving US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began on Monday without the start of a truce and hostage exchange they had aimed for.
"We are not near a deal, meaning that we are not seeing both sides converging on language that can resolve the current disagreement over the implementation of a deal," said foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari.
All parties were "continuing to work in the negotiations to reach a deal hopefully within the confines of Ramadan", Ansari told a news conference.
But he added that he could not "offer any timeline" on an agreement while the conflict remained "very complicated on the ground".
The health ministry in Gaza says the war death toll at 31,184, mostly women and children.
Qatar previously mediated a one-week break in fighting in late November that led to the release of scores of Israeli and foreign hostages, as well as aid entering the besieged Palestinian territory.
Ansari was asked whether Qatar had exerted pressure on Hamas, which has its political office in Doha, in an effort to reach a truce.
"As a mediator that has been exchanging views between both sides, I don't think it is useful to use such terminology (of) pressure or using leverage," he said.
But he said Qatar was "certainly using everything that we have in our capabilities to push both sides to an agreement".
The wealthy Gulf emirate, which hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East, is also the main residence of the Islamists' self-exiled leader Ismail Haniyeh.
On Sunday, Haniyeh said the Palestinian militant group was still open to talks with Israel but added Hamas wanted a durable ceasefire, a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the return of displaced Gazans to their homes and more access to humanitarian aid.
Israel has rejected a complete withdrawal of its troops, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue his campaign to destroy Hamas, even after any truce deal.
Source: AFP
調解員稱以色列和哈馬斯尚未接近達成休戰協議
調解人卡達週二表示，以色列和哈馬斯尚未接近達成停止加薩戰鬥和釋放人質的協議，並警告局勢仍然「非常複雜」。
儘管美國、卡達和埃及調解人進行了數週的談判，但穆斯林齋戒月於週一開始，但他們所希望的休戰和人質交換並未開始。
外交部發言人馬吉德·安薩裡 (Majed al-Ansari) 表示： “我們尚未接近達成協議，這意味著我們沒有看到雙方就能夠解決目前在協議執行方面存在的分歧的語言達成共識。”
安薩裡在記者會上表示，各方「繼續努力進行談判，希望在齋戒月期間達成協議」。
但他補充說，由於衝突“現場仍然非常複雜”，他無法就協議“提供任何時間表”。
加薩衛生部稱，戰爭死亡人數為 31,184 人，其中大部分是婦女和兒童。
卡達先前於11月下旬調解了一週的戰鬥中斷，導致數十名以色列和外國人質獲釋，並向被圍困的巴勒斯坦領土提供援助。
安薩裡被問到卡達是否向在杜哈設有政治辦公室的哈馬斯施加壓力，以達成停戰協議。
「作為一直在雙方之間交換意見的調解人，我認為使用壓力或槓桿等術語沒有用，」他說。
但他表示，卡達「肯定會盡一切努力推動雙方達成協議」。
這個富裕的海灣酋長國擁有中東最大的美國軍事基地，也是伊斯蘭主義者自我流亡領導人伊斯梅爾·哈尼亞的主要住所。
哈尼亞週日表示，巴勒斯坦激進組織仍願意與以色列進行談判，但他補充說，哈馬斯希望實現持久停火、以色列軍隊從加薩撤軍、流離失所的加沙人返回家園以及更多地獲得人道主義援助。
以色列拒絕完全撤軍，總理本傑明·內塔尼亞胡發誓，即使在達成任何停戰協議後，仍將繼續摧毀哈馬斯。 （法新社）
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