Ceasefire negotiations have reached an impasse, says Qatari PM

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said this Tuesday (May 14, 2024) that negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are “almost” at an impasse. He cited Israel’s operations in Rafah. The information is from the news agency Reuters.

“Unfortunately, things did not move in the right direction and now we are almost at an impasse. Of course, what happened to Rafah set us back,” the prime minister said at an economic forum in Doha. It is estimated that the city, in the south of the Gaza Strip, is home to more than 1 million people displaced by the war between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian enclave.

Qatar’s Prime Minister stated that the country will continue working to resolve the situation. “We make it very clear to everyone: our work is limited to our mediation”, these. “This is what we will do, this is what we will continue to do”, he added.

According to him, among the obstacles are the release of the hostages and the end of the war. “There is one side that wants to end the war and then talk about the hostages and there is another side that wants the hostages and wants to continue the war”, he declared, adding that he did not “whether a result will be reached” until there is an understanding on these issues.

International pressure on Israel has intensified, especially from the United States, which has urged the country to avoid attacks in Rafah. Concern for the safety of civilians and the search for a strategy that prevents a prolonged conflict are at the center of the discussions.

Israel announced in mid-March that it had approved a plan to enter Rafah. On April 29, Israeli airstrikes on 3 houses in the city killed at least 20 Palestinians.

The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has been carrying out ground incursions in the region and warning civilians to leave parts of the city. On May 7, the military said it had taken over the “operational control” from the Palestinian part of the border between Rafah and Egypt. According to him, the passage “was being used for terrorist purposes”.

The border was used at the beginning of the conflict to remove foreigners who were in the Gaza Strip – including Brazilians. Today, it is the gateway for humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave.

Egyptian authorities have reportedly threatened to give up mediating ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas after the IDF took control of the border crossing at Rafah and blocked the crossing. Egyptian leaders claim that the Israeli government has violated the Peace Treaty signed between the countries in 1979.

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