Qatar, Egypt Trying to Convince Hamas to Soften Its Demands for Deal With Israel – Reports

Qatar, Egypt Trying to Convince Hamas to Soften Its Demands for Deal With Israel – Reports
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel held a meeting with Hamas representatives in an attempt to convince the Palestinian movement to soften its demands for a ceasefire deal, media reported, citing sources.
In particular, the negotiators are trying to force Hamas to lessen its new demands for the release of Palestinian prisoners serving sentences in Israeli prisons, the report said on Wednesday.
A senior Israeli official told the news portal that he does not believe that the meeting in Doha can change the situation in the negotiations on the deal.
At the same time, Hamas confirmed that its delegation met with the Qatari prime minister and the head of Egyptian intelligence in the Qatari capital of Doha to discuss the Gaza conflict.
“The movement’s readiness to immediately implement the ceasefire agreement was emphasized, based on the statement by [US President Joe] Biden made on May 31, 2024, Security Council Resolution 2735 and what was agreed on July 2, 2024, without setting any new demands. The movement rejects any new conditions for this agreement from any of the parties,” the movement said in a statement.

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