Senior Qatari, Turkish officials to join ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks in Egypt

Cairo, Oct 8 (IANS) Top diplomatic and intelligence officials from Qatar and Turkey are set to join the Gaza ceasefire negotiations in Egypt on Wednesday, as mediators push to end the devastating conflict.

Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will travel to the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh to join the talks, the Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.

Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari stated on social media that the prime minister's participation comes at a "critical stage of the talks," reaffirming the mediators' determination to reach an agreement, Xinhua news agency reported.

Simultaneously, Turkish National Intelligence Organization Director Ibrahim Kalin is also scheduled to take part in the negotiations, Turkey's semi-official Anadolu Agency reported, citing security sources.

Kalin's involvement will focus on achieving a ceasefire, facilitating a prisoner exchange, and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave.

The current round of indirect ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, began on Monday in Sharm El Sheikh.

The negotiations focus on a 20-point proposal unveiled by US President Donald Trump after he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in September at the White House.

The plan outlines a phased ceasefire-for-hostages deal, an Israeli withdrawal, a demilitarized Gaza, and international oversight for the territory's post-conflict reconstruction and governance, which explicitly excludes Hamas.

Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, discussed recent developments on the Gaza situation on Tuesday, emphasizing the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities, unhindered humanitarian aid, and an exchange of hostages and captives, according to a statement from the Egyptian Presidency.

--IANS

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