Al-Ansari's remarks came during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' weekly press conference in Doha, following Hamas' announcement on Monday that it had accepted a proposal submitted by Egypt and Qatar for a 60-day ceasefire.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman explained that "Hamas' response is almost identical to what Israel agreed to, at a rate of approximately 98%," describing the movement's response as "very positive."
He added, "We are still awaiting Israel's response to Hamas's approval of the proposal. There is no specific timeframe for a response, but we have followed through the media that Israel is studying the matter, and we hope the response will come quickly and positively."
Al-Ansari explained that the proposal "includes a path to a comprehensive agreement that ends the war, beginning with a 60-day ceasefire that includes a prisoner exchange and Israeli redeployment within the Gaza Strip, in parallel with increased access to humanitarian aid."
He stressed that the proposed proposal "represents the best that can be offered currently, and the best possible option to stop the bloodshed of the Palestinian people in light of the ongoing Israeli escalation."
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He continued, "We are currently in the process of exchanging responses on positions. If an agreement is reached, there will be a technical phase to discuss the details. The most important thing is for the parties to adhere to the terms of the agreement." However, he added, "We have learned from previous experiences that there are no real guarantees on the ground other than the parties' commitment to implementation."
Al-Ansari emphasized that the world stands before a "critical humanitarian moment," adding, "If we do not reach an agreement now, we are facing a humanitarian catastrophe that will make everything that came before it seem insignificant."
He pointed out that Qatar, in cooperation with Egypt, is continuing its efforts to reach a formula for a ceasefire and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza "as quickly as possible." He noted that the Qatari Prime Minister participated in talks in the northern Egyptian city of El Alamein on Monday as part of efforts to advance the negotiations.
Regarding the US position, Al Ansari confirmed that Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is in direct contact with US envoy Steve Witkoff, noting that there is "positive movement" regarding what is on the negotiating table.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, leaving 62,064 Palestinians martyred, 156,573 injured, most of them children and women, more than 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a famine that has claimed the lives of 263 people, including 112 children.
