Qatar cites ‘very minor’ obstacles before hostage deal

Reaching an agreement on the release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas during its October 7 attack on Israel now rests on practical questions “minors”the Prime Minister of Qatar said on Sunday, without providing a timetable. “The challenges that remain in the negotiations are very minor (…) They are more logistical, they are more practical”, declared Mohammed bin Abderrahmane Al Thani during a press conference in Doha alongside the head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell. The latter called for “unconditional release” of all the hostages, and denounced the Hamas attack against Israel.

The negotiations for an agreement were “Ups and downs over the last few weeks. I think I’m more confident now that we are close enough to reach an agreement that will allow these people (the hostages) to return home safely.”, he added. Qatar, which hosts a Hamas political office, was involved in mediation which allowed the release of four hostages in October: an American woman and her daughter, as well as two Israeli women.

The Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7 left 1,200 dead, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities who estimate that around 240 people were taken hostage by the Palestinian Islamist movement that day. In retaliation, Israel vowed to“annihilate” Hamas which took power in Gaza in 2007. Israeli bombings on the Gaza Strip have since left 12,300 dead, mainly civilians, according to the government of the Palestinian movement, even if no source can precisely support this. balance sheet.