DOHA: Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Wednesday said that Israeli objections to the return of displaced Gazans to their homes is the main issue blocking the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Al-Thani told a press conference that the Israelis did not agree to the return of the IDPs (internally displaced people) to their homes and this is the main issue that is holding the negotiations.
He went on to say another issue is related to the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel in exchange for each hostage freed by Hamas.
Qatar, alongside the United States and Egypt, has been in talks in a bid to achieve a truce in the Gaza Strip and the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners languishing in Israeli jails.
The mediators were confident about reaching a ceasefire before the start of Ramadan, but progress stopped and the Muslim holy month is almost over.
Sheikh Mohammed said the main points remain the same as those that hindered a deal during talks in Paris in February.
The Qatari top diplomat during a joint press conference with the visiting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said mediators are trying their best to find a solution and make sure some middle grounds are being created.
Talks were about to resume in Cairo last Sunday, two days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the fresh negotiations.
According to the Hamas health ministry, Israel’s relentless bombardment has killed at least 32,975 people in Gaza, most of them women and children.
