Qatari PM seeks early talks on 2nd phase of Israel-Hamas hostage deal

Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has expressed his desire to expedite talks on the second stage of the hostage deal brokered between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday.

Speaking with Israeli media’s Walla News, Al Thani revealed plans to discuss the matter with Mossad chief David Barnea later this week.

Current cease-fire agreement between Hamas, Israel

Under the terms of the existing agreement, negotiations on the second phase are set to begin on the 16th day of the cease-fire.

This phase would focus on securing the release of men under 50 still held by Hamas in exchange for Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent cease-fire.

Crucially, the agreement stipulates that the cease-fire will remain in place as long as talks on the second phase continue, extending beyond the initial 42-day timeframe if necessary. The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have committed to ensuring that the negotiations proceed until a final agreement is reached.

Challenges awaiting Israel-Hamas cease-fire’s second round

While there is openness to an earlier start, officials from Israel, the United States, and Qatar have cautioned that the second round of negotiations will likely be far more complex and require significant strategic decisions from both Israel and Hamas.

“We have no issue starting talks on the second phase before the 16th day. The first phase of negotiations took months, and reaching an agreement on this next stage could also take significant time,” an Israeli official said as per Walla News.

Qatar’s role and diplomatic contacts with Israel-Hamas

Prime Minister Al Thani emphasized Qatar’s commitment to facilitating progress.

“We are pushing for this,” he said, underscoring Qatar’s active role in mediating the delicate talks.

Meanwhile, U.S. envoy Steve Wietkoff is expected to arrive in the region in the coming days to engage with stakeholders. Separately, Israeli intelligence leaders, including Mossad’s Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, recently held discussions with Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Rashad in Cairo regarding the upcoming negotiations.