In an upcoming diplomatic mission, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is set to travel to Tehran, in a move that underscores the Gulf state’s continuing role as a regional mediator amid the tension between Iran and Israel that has reached new heights in recent weeks.
Iran’s Tasnim agency reported that the Qatari leader, who is also foreign minister, will visit the Islamic Republic days after Israeli and Hamas representatives failed to reach an agreement under Qatari mediation on Israel halting its campaign in the Gaza Strip and releasing terrorists held in Israel in exchange for Hamas releasing hostages held by the terrorist group since Oct. 7, and weeks after Iran blamed Israel for assassinating Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, urging progress on a ceasefire deal in Gaza as the United States continues to push for an agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The call, which Vice President Kamala Harris joined, focused on a “bridging proposal” to facilitate a ceasefire and the release of hostages for terrorists. However, significant challenges remain, with both Hamas and Israel signaling ongoing differences over key issues, including the presence of Israeli troops in strategic areas of Gaza.
The talks are expected to resume in Cairo next week.
Jerusalem is exerting maximum effort “to return the hostages under conditions that will allow a maximum number of captives to be released in the first stage of the deal,” Netanyahu told members of the Tikva Forum for Families of Hostages and HaGvura—The Forum for Families of Fallen Heroes on Tuesday.
“I say this clearly—this is a goal I set,” he said, adding, “But the other thing is to preserve our strategic security assets in the face of great pressures at home and from abroad, and we continue to stand on this.”
The premier said that the Israel Defense Forces continues to score gains against Hamas in Gaza, highlighting the capture of the Rafah Crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the Egyptian border, as well as the killing of top Hamas commander Mohammed Deif.
Meanwhile, Iran has vowed to respond to the alleged Israeli assassination of Haniyeh on its soil, which supposedly took place using Mossad agents who managed to plant a bomb in Haniyeh’s room when he was staying in a government-run official guest house, having arrived in the Iranian capital for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy in Lebanon, has also vowed to hit Israel after it assassinated Fuad Shukr, the effective no. 2 in the organization, in a targeted strike in Beirut, days after a rocket barrage that killed 12 Israeli children in the Druze town of Majdal Shams.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
