Doha, Qatar: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al-Ansari said that it was "still waiting" for Israel's response to a proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Palestinian territory after Hamas agreed to the framework more than a week ago.
Qatar and Egypt, along with the United States, have been mediating indirect ceasefire negotiations throughout the Gaza war, but despite sealing two temporary truces, the successive rounds of talks have repeatedly failed to bring a lasting end to the conflict.
The latest proposal put forward by mediators includes a 60-day temporary ceasefire, during which a number of prisoners and hostages would be exchanged, Israeli forces would be redeployed, and the delivery of humanitarian aid would be intensified as stipulated in the agreement.
"We are still waiting for an answer" from Israel, Qatari foreign ministry spokesman told a regular news conference on Tuesday, adding: "The statements that we are hearing right now do not fill us with confidence."
Ansari on Tuesday said mediators did not "take seriously" any announcements outside the negotiation process itself.
"The responsibility now lies on the Israeli side to respond to an offer that is on the table. Anything else is political posturing by the Israeli side," he said.
Referring to the Gaza City offensive, he added that Qatar did not see a "positive trajectory coming out of this escalation on the ground".
