Good Progress In Gaza Truce, Captives Negotiations, Qatar Claims

Qatar’s prime minister has said “good progress” was made during a meeting between intelligence officials from Egypt, Israel and the United States over the weekend to discuss a possible deal to secure a truce in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of captives held by Palestinian groups in Gaza.

Spy chiefs from the three countries, which have been leading negotiations on agreements to pause fighting since the start of the war on October 7, met over the weekend in the French capital Paris.

The sides discussed a potential deal that would include a phased truce that would see women and children released first and humanitarian aid entering the besieged Gaza Strip, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani confirmed on Monday.

“We are hoping to relay this proposal to Hamas and to get them to a place where they engage positively and constructively in the process,” the prime minister said during an event hosted by the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, the US.

Qatar’s prime minister also said that Hamas had demanded a permanent ceasefire as a precondition to enter negotiations.

“I believe we moved from that place to a place that potentially might lead to a ceasefire permanently in the future,” he said.

Al Thani said that talks are “in a much better place than where we were a few weeks ago”.

Around 240 people were taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 after the group’s fighters launched a surprise attack from Gaza on southern Israel, killing at least 1,139 people, according to Israeli figures.

Israel responded with a devastating bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza, killing more than 26,600 people, according to Palestinian health officials.

Qatar and the US led negotiations of a previous weeklong truce in late November that saw more than 100 captives released by Palestinian groups in Gaza and more than 200 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons released in exchange.

Comments

€56.250m Contract Award Allegation, Malicious, False, NDDC Clarifies

By Editor The management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has dissociated itself from a fake contract award letter being circulated online purporting to originate from the desk of the managing director of the commission. The commission stated that the fake letter which purportedly notified an Italian company of an award of a contract for the sum of €56,250,000 did not emanate from the commission. According to a statement from the office of the Director, Corporate Affairs, NDDC, Dr Ibitoye Abosede, the commission stressed that it is not in the know of such contract and that the public should disregard such malicious falsehood. The commission unequivocally stated that the document was fake, adding that the purported contract was also a scam. “It does not exist either in the records of the commission nor is any of our officials aware of it,” the commission said. The interventionist commission, having studied the purported document, stated that the contract awards in N...

2023: Nigeria Ranks Low, As IMF Names Countries With Highest Debt

The 2023 World Economic Outlook of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has named the countries with highest debt – Sudan 256 per cent, Japan 255 percent, and Greece 168 percent. According to the October index posted by Statisence X handle, while Nigeria has 39 percent, and China 83 percent, the U. S. has 123 percent and United Kingdom 104 percent. The above data shows that Argentina tops the list of 12 highest IMF debt burden with $44,433,379; followed by Egypt at $12, 521, 322,333; Ukraine $11,588,182,405; and China $9, 674,159, 560. Also on the list are, Pakistan $7,969,383, 344; Russia $7, 850, 147, 849; India $5,606,170, 345; Brazil $3, 995, 905, 562; Mexico $3,946, 241,133; Venezuela $3,534, 993, 686; Indonesia $2, 741, 057, 642; and South Africa $2,471, 131, 618. However, as of March 2023, Argentina led 10 countries with the highest debt burden, hitting $46billion; Egypt $18billion; Ukraine $12.2billion; Ecuador $8.2billion; Pakistan $7.4billion; Colombia $5billion; Angola $4....

2023 Census: We Won’t Ask Questions On Religion –NPC

2023 Census: We Won’t Ask Questions On Religion –NPC By Editor Ahead of the commencement of the 2023 census, the National Population Commission (NPC) on Wednesday said it will not ask questions on religious affiliation. In a statement on Wednesday by the Director of Public Affairs, Isiaka Yahaya, the commission said the decision to exclude religion along with ethnicity from the census questionnaire was taken in consideration of the sensitive nature of these issues within the Nigerian polity. He also stated that the need to save the census data from needless controversies and attention will compel the NPC to avoid questions bordering on religion. “For the avoidance of doubt, the commission wishes to state unequivocally that the 2023 Population and Housing Census will not canvass questions on religion and religious affiliations of respondents.” This comes amid a viral WhatsApp audio claiming that the religious affiliation of a person will be canvassed. The exercise is schedule...

Nelly's SmartBriefs

Search This Blog