Israel "unwilling to reach agreement" on Gaza ceasefire, says Qatar

Doha [Qatar], August 27 (ANI): Israel appears "unwilling to reach an agreement" as it has not responded to the ceasefire proposal agreed by Hamas earlier this month, Al Jazeera reported, citing Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
While Qatar pledged to continue efforts to end Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari called on the international community to pressure Israel to accept the latest ceasefire proposal, Al Jazeera added.
"We are in contact with all parties in pursuit of a ceasefire agreement, but there is no official Israeli response - neither acceptance, rejection, nor the presentation of an alternative proposal," al-Ansari said on Tuesday.
"We do not take seriously the media statements in Israel and are awaiting an official response to the proposal," he added, noting that Qatar was "communicating with all parties in pursuit of a ceasefire agreement."
The statement follows a week after Hamas said it had informed mediators Egypt and Qatar that it had agreed to the proposal and was ready to resume negotiations to end Israel's war on Gaza, which now risks further mass displacement amid Israeli-made starvation, Al Jazeera reported.
A source familiar with the ceasefire talks told Al Jazeera the proposal included a cessation of Israeli army operations for 60 days, during which it would withdraw to allow the entry of humanitarian aid. Half of the remaining 50 captives would also be exchanged for Palestinian detainees within that timeframe.
"It does not matter to Egypt or Qatar where the negotiations are held," al-Ansari said, after Israeli media suggested relocating the venue of the negotiations to another country.
"What Hamas agreed to is identical to what Israel had already agreed to. The ball is now in Israel's court, and it seems Israel does not want to reach an agreement or even respond to the proposal," he added.
This proposal was "agreed upon by Israel and 98 percent of it has been agreed upon by Hamas", Al Jazeera's Osama bin Javaid reported from Doha.
The proposal has been on the table for more than 10 days, and neither of the mediators has yet heard back from Israel, he added.
Qatar says the only response seen from Israel has been "more deaths, more destruction, more plans to take over more territory in Gaza, but no real move towards trying to find a solution ... and stopping the killing," Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)