Foreign ministry of Qatar confirms mediation efforts

Qatar’s foreign ministry said it is trying to help Hamas and Israeli officials talk peacefully to each other.

Talking to Reuters news agency, a spokesperson said that the negotiations, which may involve trading prisoners, have been ongoing since Saturday night and are going well.

“Our main goals are to stop the violence, free the prisoners, and prevent the conflict from spreading to neighboring regions,” explained Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for the foreign ministry.

It is not clear how many Israeli people are being held captive in Gaza. Many people believe that Hamas took women, children, elderly individuals, and soldiers as hostages.

Hamas spokesperson Hossam Badran has stated that the group is not willing to negotiate a prisoner swap while fighting is going on.