Qatar’s prime minister said Tuesday that Hamas’ reaction to the latest plan for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages was “generally positive” as he met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was making his latest visit to the Middle East.
Qatar, which has long mediated with the radical Islamic terror group Hamas, has been working with the U.S. and Egypt to broker a cease-fire that would involve an extended halt in fighting and the release of the over 100 hostages still held by Hamas after its Oct. 7 cross-border raid that ignited the war nearly four months ago.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani did not provide any details on Hamas’ response but said the group had “comments.” Blinken confirmed that officials had received Hamas’ response and said he would brief Israel’s leaders when he visits the country on Wednesday.
Blinken met with Egyptian officials earlier in the day and was in Saudi Arabia on Monday.
His visit also comes amid growing concerns in Egypt about Israel’s stated intentions to expand the combat against Hamas to areas on the Egyptian border where fighters of the terror group are using civilians as human shields.
Israel’s defense minister has said his country’s offensive against Hamas will eventually reach the town of Rafah, on the Egyptian border, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have sought refuge.
Egypt has warned that an Israeli deployment along the border would threaten the peace treaty the two countries signed over four decades ago. Egypt fears an expansion of combat to the Rafah area could push Palestinian civilians into their terroritory, a scenario Egypt has said it would not allow.
Blinken, who met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo, has said repeatedly that Palestinians must not be forced out of Gaza.
The Associated Press contributed to this article