Qatar has said it is continuing mediation efforts to “bridge the gap” between Israel and Hamas to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages held there, AFP reports.
“We have continued our efforts without interruption over the last few days,” Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told a joint news conference in Madrid with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.
“There have been several meetings with the Hamas leadership to try to bridge the gap between the two parties and reach an agreement that will lead to a ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages” being held in Gaza, he added.
“Efforts are continuing, but so far we have not reached a formulae that we feel is the most appropriate and closest to what has been presented,” the Qatari prime minister said.
“As soon as this is done, we will communicate with the Israeli side to try to bridge the gap and reach an agreement as quickly as possible,” he added.
Meanwhile, Israel continued to bomb Gaza as exchanges of fire and threats over the Lebanon border raised fears of wider conflict, AFP reports.
Five municipal workers died “during an Israeli bombing” of a garage in Gaza City, said Mahmud Basal, spokesman for the civil defence agency in the Palestinian territory.—AFP
