Beijing, January 30 (Xinhua) -- Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdelrahman Al-Thani said on January 29 that positive progress has been made in the negotiations on a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Paris, the capital of France. He urged the United States not to undermine the process of a new round of Palestinian-Israeli cease-fire talks on the attack on the US military base in Jordan.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman said at a meeting of the Atlantic Council, a US think tank, in Washington, that the first round of Palestinian-Israeli cease-fire talks held the day before was "progressing well," and that all parties attending the meeting hoped that the proposal for the meeting would be conveyed to Hamas, and that Hamas should "actively and constructively participate" in the negotiation process.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman met with the heads of the intelligence services of the United States, Israel and Egypt in Paris on the 28th in an attempt to promote negotiations on a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel and the release of detainees. It is understood that the framework proposed by the meeting includes a phased ceasefire involving the release of detained women and children and the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip. Such a framework "could lead to a permanent ceasefire in the future".
People march through the streets of Jerusalem on January 24. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Junqing According to CNN, the framework calls for a six-week ceasefire between Palestine and Israel, during which "substitutions" will be carried out, with one detained Israeli civilian exchanging three Palestinian prisoners and detained Israeli soldiers exchanging more Palestinian prisoners. After the expiration of the first phase of the ceasefire, the parties may extend the ceasefire as appropriate.
Agence France-Presse quoted Tahir Nunu, a senior member of Hamas, as saying on the 29th that Hamas seeks a "complete and comprehensive ceasefire, not a temporary ceasefire." It is unclear whether Nunu's remarks were preceded by knowledge of the new ceasefire talks.
According to a person who participated in the meeting and was informed, Egyptian intelligence** conveyed the framework of the agreement proposed by the meeting to Hamas ** on the 29th in Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip bordering Egypt.
In addition, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office issued a statement on the evening of the 28th, saying that the first round of negotiations on the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was "constructive", but there were still "major differences" between the two sides.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference on the same day that the framework proposed at the current meeting in Paris was "persuasive" and offered "hope" for the parties to return to negotiations on a ceasefire agreement.
On November 30, 2023, a bus carrying released Palestinian detainees arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Nidal Ashtaye) Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar and other parties, briefly ceased fire for a week in November last year, during which more than 100 Israeli detainees and about 240 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel were released. The Israeli side said that more than 100 Israelis are still being detained by Palestinian militants.
It is worth noting that Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed also urged the United States to take possible retaliatory actions against the attack on the US military base in Jordan and not to undermine the process of a new round of Palestinian-Israeli ceasefire talks. "In any case, the retaliation of the US side will definitely affect the security of the Middle East," Mohammed said, "and we hope that the situation will be brought under control." ”
A U.S. military base in Jordan was attacked by drones on the 28th, killing three U.S. soldiers and injuring at least 34 others. This is the first attack on US troops in Jordan since the outbreak of the current round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and the first time that US soldiers have been killed in an attack involving this round of conflict. On the same day, Joseph Biden threatened retaliation, saying the U.S. would "respond." (Wang Yijun).