Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Wednesday that his country is hopeful for the release of more Israeli hostages after Israel publicly acknowledged the Gulf country's role in the talks.
“The negotiations are still ongoing and at any moment of time — I think that if we will be able to get along between the two parties — I think we will see some breakthroughs hopefully soon,” said Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the country's minister of foreign affairs, speaking alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at a joint press conference in Doha.
“If we compare where we started and where we are right now, there is some progress and some breakthrough and we will remain hopeful,” he added.
The remarks come as a high-level Israeli official has publicly acknowledged the Gulf country's role in the process for the first time. Israel's national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said Wednesday that Qatar's diplomatic "efforts are essential at this stage," following Hamas’ release of two more hostages earlier this week. More than 200 hostages have been held in the Gaza Strip since Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel Oct. 7. So far, four hostages have been released as a result of international negotiations involving Qatar, Egypt and the Red Cross over the past two weeks.
