The situation at a glance: Qatar: Efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza are stalling

Efforts to bring about a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of Israeli hostages held by the radical Islamic group Hamas have stalled, according to Qatar. The Foreign Ministry of the Gulf Emirate denied media reports that its role as mediator in the indirect negotiations between the conflict parties would end. However, Qatar informed them ten days ago that the country would suspend its role as mediator if there was no agreement in this round, said Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari. In principle, Qatar is still ready to make its contribution to an agreement.

“Qatar will continue these efforts with its partners if the parties show the will and seriousness to end the brutal war,” he said. It initially remained unclear whether Qatar’s mediation efforts were currently on hold or whether there were still ongoing discussions.

The Times of Israel and international media had previously reported, citing diplomatic sources, that Doha was giving up its role as a mediator in the face of Israel and Hamas’s “refusal to negotiate with good will.”

Since the Gaza war began more than a year ago, Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, helped facilitate the exchange of hostages from Hamas’ violence against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. In November 2023, more than 100 hostages were released from Hamas during a brief ceasefire. Since then, there have been numerous indirect negotiations between the warring parties about another possible ceasefire, including in the Qatari capital Doha, but no new breakthrough.

Observers suspect that Qatar is threatening to withdraw from its role as a mediator in order to strengthen its power in the region and play different sides against each other.

Hamas has had an office in Doha since 2012

Qatar is seen as an important mediator thanks to ties with Hamas that date back to the 1990s. In 2012, Hamas opened a political office in Qatar following the unrest of the Arab uprisings in the region. A lot of money had already flowed from Qatar to Hamas, which took power in the Gaza Strip in 2007. After Hamas’ October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel, which triggered the Gaza War, calls grew for the Qatari government to close the office. The EU, the USA and Israel consider the Islamist Hamas a terrorist organization.

The Foreign Ministry has now also denied reports of an allegedly ordered closure of the Hamas office in Doha. “The main objective of the Qatar office is to be a communication channel between the concerned parties,” Al-Ansari said. In previous phases of the negotiations, this helped to temporarily achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza war.

Seibert calls for the release of the hostages in the Gaza Strip

According to the German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, Germany will continue to do everything in its power to ensure the release of around 100 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. For some Israeli politicians, the fate of the hostages is only one of the goals, and certainly not the most important, the Times of Israel quoted him as saying.

On the 400th day of the brutal hostage-taking of 250 Israelis and members of other nationalities in the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, Seibert added in a speech in Tel Aviv that he felt deep sadness and helplessness. He spoke in Hebrew to thousands of participants in a demonstration demanding the release of the hostages.

It was the second time that the diplomat spoke at a rally by relatives and friends of the hostages. He thinks every day about these kidnapped men, women and children in the hands of Hamas. “We demand their return,” said Seibert. However, many of the hostages are believed to no longer be alive.

Dead and injured in Israeli attacks in Lebanon

Meanwhile, fighting continues on other fronts. The Israeli Air Force said it bombed Hezbollah militia facilities near the city of Tire in southern Lebanon and near the city of Baalbek in the east of the country. The targets were terrorists, apartments used for military purposes and weapons depots. The military’s information could not initially be independently verified – and contradicted the information provided by the Lebanese authorities.

The Health Ministry in Beirut said eight people, including six medics, were killed in the Israeli attacks in Tire district. Another twelve people were injured. This information could not be independently verified either.

According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Israeli warplanes also attacked a Syrian army radar station in the south of the country. Violent explosions were heard. The Syrian air defense did not attempt to defend itself. Initially nothing was known about possible victims.