What Happened During Two Days of Doha Negotiations?

For two days, the Qatari capital hosted the “last chance” negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement and a prisoner exchange in Gaza. These talks were prompted by an invitation from the mediating nations—the United States, Egypt, and Qatar—with the goal of reaching an agreement swiftly, urging all parties to avoid wasting time and to begin implementing the ceasefire and prisoner exchange without delay.

The discussions took place on Thursday and Friday, with American reports indicating progress, while Hamas spoke of Israeli procrastination.

Day One:

The negotiations began on Thursday afternoon, involving Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, along with the heads of U.S. intelligence, William Burns; Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel; and Israel’s Mossad, David Barnea.

At the end of the first day, the U.S. State Department announced that “there is an agreement on the general outlines of what President Joe Biden proposed in his ceasefire plan for Gaza last May,” but noted that gaps concerning “details and implementation still need to be addressed.”

This statement was made during a press conference held by U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel on Thursday, following the start of the new round of talks in Doha, which aimed to remove obstacles and finalize the agreement.

Following this, Majed bin Mohammed Al-Ansari, the official spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States are determined to continue their efforts, aiming to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza that includes the release of hostages and the entry of as much humanitarian aid as possible into the Strip.

Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badran commented that the movement views the ongoing ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations in Doha “from a strategic perspective aimed at ending the aggression on Gaza.”

Badran added in a statement published by the movement on Telegram that “Hamas believes that any negotiations should be based on a clear plan to implement what has already been agreed upon.”

He clarified that “the obstacle to reaching a ceasefire in Gaza is Israel’s ongoing maneuvering.”

Badran also emphasized that “any agreement must ensure a comprehensive ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from Gaza, the return of displaced people, and reconstruction, along with a prisoner exchange deal.”

Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman reported that the first day of negotiations witnessed certain developments. He noted that Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani had a conversation with Iranian leadership, highlighting “positive developments” in the negotiations, suggesting a reassessment of the potential attack.

Bergman, in a report published in the Hebrew newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth,” cited a source from one of the mediating countries, stating that the Qatari Foreign Minister did not say this explicitly, but his message during the phone call was clear: “He told senior officials in Tehran: We are making some progress, but we are progressing.”

The report also hinted that the Iranians were advised to “think carefully about whether it would be wise for you or Hezbollah to attack Israel at a time when such progress is being made.”

There is a state of alert in Israeli circles, amid expectations of a possible response from Iran and Hezbollah following the assassination of the elected Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the prominent Lebanese Hezbollah military leader Fouad Shukr in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

At the end of the first day, the report quoted a senior official from one of the mediating countries, saying that “it seems a breakthrough has been made on one critical issue, which appears to be a potential solution to the Netzarim axis issue.”

The Israeli journalist commented that “this breakthrough, the details of which are still unknown, is what allowed for optimism and the ability to report on some progress. After that, the Qatari Prime Minister and the head of Egyptian intelligence briefed Hamas leaders who were waiting in their offices.”

According to the report, a senior Israeli security official confirmed the details of the delay in the attack by Iran and Hezbollah but also requested that reports of significant progress in the negotiations be toned down, saying: “The Israeli team left here with very little gains. They have no broad mandate at all, and none of them, even if Mossad’s chief claimed otherwise in his talks with external parties, believe this will be enough.”

Day Two:

The second round of negotiations began on Friday, amid anticipation for the outcomes revealed in a joint statement by the mediating states.

A joint Egyptian-Qatari-American statement announced that Washington, supported by Cairo and Doha, had presented a proposal to both parties involved in the Gaza negotiations, which narrowed the gaps between them and aligned with the principles laid out by President Biden on May 31.

The joint Egyptian-Qatari-American statement emphasized that Washington’s proposal builds on points of agreement between the negotiating parties in Gaza and bridges the remaining gaps in a way that allows for the rapid implementation of the agreement.

The statement noted that “technical teams will continue working in the coming days on the details of implementing Washington’s new proposal.”

It stressed that “senior officials from our governments will meet again in Cairo before the end of next week, hoping to reach an agreement that ends the war in Gaza.”

The statement confirmed that the path is now “clear to achieving this result, saving lives, providing relief to the people of Gaza, and calming regional tensions.”

In its first reaction, a senior Hamas source confirmed that what they were informed about the results of the Doha meetings “does not include a commitment to what was agreed upon on July 2.”

Hamas had demanded, before the start of the last round, the implementation of what was agreed upon at the beginning of July, according to President Joe Biden’s vision and the UN Security Council resolution, to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and compel Israel to comply.

The source said the movement was once again assured that Israel does not want an agreement after being informed by mediators of the results of the Doha talks.

He pointed out that Israel continues to maneuver and obstruct, insisting on adding new conditions to impede the agreement.

The source reaffirmed Hamas’s commitment to what was agreed upon on July 2, based on President Biden’s declaration and the UN Security Council resolution.

The source called on the mediators to pressure Israel and compel it to proceed with implementing what was agreed upon, stressing that any agreement must ensure “an end to the aggression against our people and the withdrawal from Gaza.”

The Israeli response to the round of negotiations was also swift. Channel 13 quoted an Israeli official saying that “there are gaps because the American proposal did not address the Netzarim and Philadelphi axes.”

Meanwhile, “Yedioth Ahronoth” quoted an Israeli security official as confirming that “Israel received the American proposal, which is completely unacceptable to Netanyahu. Everyone has an interest in projecting a sense that things are going well.”