The relatives of six hostages taken prisoner in Gaza by Hamas, the militant organization in charge of the region, met with Qatar’s prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in an uncommon and historic action. CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
The purpose of the Doha meeting was to hear the individual accounts of the captives and discuss strategies for securing their release.
Four Israelis and two Americans are among the captives, according to Reuters, who had been detained in Gaza for years without being able to communicate with their family or the outside world.
Their fate has been a source of anguish and frustration for their relatives, who have been lobbying for their freedom.
However, the Qatari Prime Minister told the families that the negotiations with Hamas have become much more difficult after the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, a senior Hamas official, in Beirut this week. Al-Arouri was considered a key figure in the talks, and his death has increased the tensions and uncertainty in the region.
The Qatari Prime Minister also outlined the multiple challenges faced by his government in trying to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas, which have been locked in a cycle of violence and retaliation for decades.
He said that Qatar and Egypt have been working to facilitate indirect talks between the two sides, in order to reach an agreement that would involve the release of at least 40 hostages in exchange for a suspension of hostilities in Gaza for several weeks and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The meeting, which was attended by other senior Qatari officials, was a testament to the importance that the Prime Minister and his government attach to the hostage issue, a Qatari official told the publication. The official said that the Prime Minister was moved by the stories of the families and expressed his sympathy and support for their cause.
The meeting comes as American and European officials are in the region, trying to calm the situation and prevent further escalation. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel and Qatar in the coming days to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as well as the efforts to secure the release of the hostages, reduce regional tensions and avoid escalation in Lebanon, the State Department said ahead of his trip. CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
