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

Ogoni Day: Group Demands Saro-Wiwa, Eight Others' Exoneration, Compensation .Urges Probe Of Wike Over Alleged Diversion Of $300m OML 11 Payment

As the Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State marked the 31st Anniversary of the Ogoni Day, the Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI), has reiterated the call on the Federal Government to exonerate late environment-rights activist, Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogonis murdered during the late General Sani Abacha military junta in 1995. The group also called for compensation to Ogoni and families of the four Ogoni chiefs whose death led to the arrest and subsequent execution of Saro-Wiwa and eight others. OLI said it came up with the referendum after consultation with critical stakeholders within and outside Ogoni land and over 200 rights groups. Chief Executive Officer of Ogoni Liberation Initiative, Dr Douglas Fabeke, while reading an 8-point referendum to mark this year's Ogoni Day also demanded the immediate dissolution of the board of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), over alleged gross mismanagement of funds and incompetence. OLI said Ogoni peopl

Nigeria Lost N16.25trn To Oil Theft, NEITI Alleges

The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Ogbonnaya Orji, has revealed that Nigeria lost over N16.25trillion due to oil theft in the country. Orji, who made the revelation to the House Committee on Public Accounts, during an interactive session in Abuja, also claimed that $74.386billion was spent on fuel subsidy by successive administrations since 2011. According to him, the agency has compiled the actual amount paid as subsidy on yearly basis. Orji claimed that the compilation was based on data collated and signed off by operators in the industry and other stakeholders. According to him, NEITI also uncovered over $8.3billion unremitted revenue by some privately owned oil firms and Federal Government-owned Agencies which was not paid into the Federation Account, in deviant to provisions in the extant financial regulations. He, however, noted that the agency is working with various enforcement Institutions including Economic and Financial

Our Decisions Not Borne Out Of Fear, But For Peace Of Rivers, Fubara Insists .Says He Won't Involve In Dirty Political Fights

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the decisions taken by his administration in the evolving political crisis in the state were not borne out of fear, but for peace to reign in the state. The governor made this known while addressing Rivers people at the maiden state banquet held by his administration at Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday to celebrate the New Year. The governor's position was revealed in a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Governor of Rivers State, Boniface Onyedi, on Tuesday. Fubara, who wished Rivers people a fruitful and prosperous 2024, also appealed to Rivers people to embrace the ongoing peace process at the instance of President Bola Amhed Tinubu. He stated that his administration would not be enmeshed in any dirty political war that would hinder the prospects of development in the state. "Every decision that we've taken is not borne out of fear but because we have the interest of ou

Nelly's SmartBriefs

Search This Blog