Qatar points to the pointlessness of 13 wasted months on Gaza talks
The agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages could have been concluded 13 months earlier, this time was wasted. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani told Sky News on January 17.
"In essence, this is 13 months of wasted time negotiating details that have no significance and are not worth a single life we lost in Gaza or a single life of hostages lost in the bombings," the Prime Minister stressed.
He specified that this agreement could have been concluded as early as December 2023 and was ready and agreed upon. In addition, he called the deal a "last chance" for Gaza.
According to the Prime Minister, if one of the parties violates the agreement, Qatar will take measures to comply with it in the future. He also said that in order to finally achieve peace in the region, a "Palestinian state" must be established.
Israeli portal Walla reported on January 17 that the Israeli government, following a six-hour meeting, approved an agreement with the Palestinian movement Hamas on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of Palestinian hostages. The next day, January 18, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Israeli government had approved the hostage return plan, which will take effect on Sunday, January 19.
At the same time, The Jerusalem Post reported that in the first stage, in exchange for 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages - children, women (including military), men over 50 years old and "humanitarian hostages." In addition, representatives of the Palestinian movement and Israel signed the final version of the deal in the Qatari capital Doha.
The Gaza ceasefire agreement became known on January 15. The next day, the Ministry of Defense and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began preparations for the implementation of the agreement. In particular, the State Defense Ministry's Directorate of Checkpoints and the Design Department will be involved in the implementation of the deal in order to speed up logistics.
At the same time, the IDF launched a massive strike on Gaza that killed at least 30 Palestinians. Netanyahu's office later accused Hamas of attempting blackmail and backing out of part of the agreements. The movement, in turn, said that the Israeli army attacked the place where one of the hostages was held.
The situation in the Middle East escalated on the morning of October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian radical movement Hamas subjected Israeli territory to a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. On the same day, Israel began retaliatory strikes.
