Qatar, a key mediator in the Gaza conflict, said on Tuesday that Palestinians 鈥� not outsiders 鈥� must decide the territory鈥檚 future after the Israel-Hamas war.
Foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a Doha news conference that the issue was 鈥榓 Palestinian question鈥�, after Israel insisted on removing Hamas and the United States proposed taking over the territory.
鈥楩rom our perspective, this is a Palestinian question on what happens post this conflict,鈥� said Ansari when asked about Israel鈥檚 stated objective to eliminate Hamas.
鈥業t is a Palestinian question on who represents the Palestinians in an official capacity and also the political groups and parties in the political sphere,鈥� he said.
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar said earlier Tuesday that negotiations for the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which Qatar helped broker, would begin this week.
The second phase of the truce is meant to facilitate the release of all remaining hostages seized during Hamas鈥檚 October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war, and lead to a permanent end to the fighting.
Saar said Israel demanded the 鈥榗omplete demilitarisation of Gaza鈥� and would 鈥榥ot accept the continued presence of Hamas or any other terrorist groups鈥� in the territory, ruled by Hamas since 2007.
US president Donald Trump has proposed a takeover of the Gaza Strip, under which its 2.4 million inhabitants would be moved to Egypt or Jordan.
The plan has drawn widespread condemnation, with Arab states preparing a response.
Trump鈥檚 proposal has added strains to the fragile Gaza ceasefire, which has largely halted the violence since it took effect on January 19, after more than 15 months of war.
The on-going first phase of the truce, which is set to expire on March 1, has so far seen the release of 19 Israeli hostages in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinians in Israeli custody.
More hostage-prisoner exchanges are expected before the end of the first phase, which has also allowed humanitarian aid into besieged Gaza.
Hamas however has accused Israel of blocking the entry of prefabricated structures and heavy machinery to clear rubble.
Ansari, the Qatari spokesman, said that 鈥榯he aid the enters the Gaza Strip today is insufficient鈥�.
鈥楿sing humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip in negotiations is a crime in and of itself.鈥�
Efforts were underway to secure the release this week of all remaining living hostages eligible to be freed from Gaza under the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, an Israeli official source said Tuesday.
Of the 33 hostages set to be freed under phase one of the deal, 19 have already been released and Israel says eight are dead. That leaves just six living hostages slated for release in the current stage.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is making tremendous efforts to release all six remaining living hostages鈥� this week, and to secure the bodies of four others, the Israeli official source said.
A Palestinian source close to the negotiations said that 鈥榓 proposal was presented by the mediators in recent days鈥� for Gaza militants 鈥榯o deliver the bodies of several Israeli prisoners before Friday, and to increase the number鈥� of living captives to be released during the seventh hostage-prisoner swap on Saturday.