Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari has confirmed that his country and Egypt have received a positive response from Hamas to a ceasefire proposal that aims at “reaching a comprehensive agreement to end the war.”
Speaking at a press conference in Doha, al-Ansari said that the proposal included a 60-day provisional ceasefire during which a number of captives and prisoners would be swapped, Israeli forces in Gaza would be repositioned and aid to Gaza would be increased.
The spokesperson disclosed that the proposal was “almost identical” to US Middle East Envoy, Steve Witkoff’s previous proposal, but that Israel had yet to send its response.
Al-Ansari said that there was no timeframe for when Israel would answer. “Almost 98 percent of what has been agreed to by the Israelis was contained in this recent proposal,” al-Ansari said.
Pressed on what, if anything, differentiates the current Gaza ceasefire proposal from an earlier proposal put forward by US envoy Witkoff, al-Ansari stated that he would not delve into the details as negotiations remain active.
“What is important here is to reach an agreement that is acceptable to both parties in word and in essence. And that’s what we have been working on in the past days.
“We are at a very defining humanitarian moment. If this proposal fails, the crisis will exacerbate and therefore Qatar in cooperation with Egypt and the other global players, including the US, are doing all they can in order to reach a ceasefire.”
Majed al-Ansari
The Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson’s remarks came after Hamas in a brief statement on Monday, August 18, 2025, said, “Hamas, along with the Palestinian factions, relayed their acceptance of the proposal put forward yesterday by the Qatari and Egyptian mediators.”
Qatar Cautious About Gaza Ceasefire Prospects
Moreover, Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Majed al-Ansari was cautious about ceasefire prospects.
“I’m not in the habit of being overly optimistic when I don’t have clear facts in front of me.
“What I can tell you is that we have a positive response from Hamas. That positive response, according to what we know, is almost all that was agreed by Israel in previous iterations of these talks.”
Majed al-Ansari
However, he added that they are yet to receive a response from the Israel side “so we cannot make any claims that a breakthrough has been made.” He noted, “But we do believe it is a positive point when we have a positive response from Hamas.”
Separately, the former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister, Hussein Haridy said that Israel may not back a deal – even though the current proposal agreed to by the Palestinian group is “almost identical” to one Israel previously agreed a few weeks ago.
“My understanding is that both the American administration and the Israeli government are not very interested in partial deals, they wanted the release of all the hostages and then we’ll see how things will develop after that.
“Much water has passed under the bridge, one month and a half has made a lot of difference. The question is… why didn’t Hamas accept this proposal one month and a half ago? … Timing is of great importance.”
Hussein Haridy
Haridy noted that since the proposal was first made by US Envoy Steve Witkoff, Israel has announced a plan to launch an offensive against Gaza City, and that the Israeli and US positions are now more aligned on the perceived necessity of defeating Hamas.
Haridey said that “the game has changed a little bit,” adding that Israel may now no longer want to agree to the deal that was previously on the table.
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