(24 Dec 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Doha, Qatar – 24 December 2024
1. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Majid al-Ansari, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson:
”Regarding the negotiations aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, they are ongoing. I cannot currently comment on the nature of these negotiations, but I can say that they are ongoing and that we will not leave any door unopened in pursuit of reaching an agreement. In truth, no one can, and I believe anyone who sets a timeline for reaching an agreement today is engaging in speculation. We are still, as we mentioned, within the framework of technical and procedural discussions, and we reiterate our call to all parties to engage seriously with the Qatari, Egyptian, and American mediation efforts, without taking any actions that could hinder their success."
STORYLINE:
Talks to reach a deal between Hamas and Israel continue, the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson said during a press conference in Doha on Tuesday.
Majid al-Ansari told journalists that he couldn’t say when an agreement would be reached.
"I can say that talks are ongoing and that we will not leave any door unopened in pursuit of reaching an agreement. In truth, no one can, and I believe anyone who sets a timeline for reaching an agreement today is engaging in speculation,” he added.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there is “some progress” in efforts to reach a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza, although he added he could not give a time frame for a possible agreement.
Of the roughly 250 people who were taken hostage in the Hamas-led raid on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that sparked the war, around 100 are still inside the Gaza Strip, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead.
AP video shot by Najib Jobain.
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