Qatar sees hope in Hamas’ hostage deal reply

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, expressed optimism after Hamas issued a ‘generally positive’ response to a draft agreement for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages. This sentiment was shared with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a joint press conference. The response from Hamas is now with Israel, and Blinken will discuss it further with Israeli officials. Blinken asserts there’s still ‘much work ahead’ but remains hopeful for an agreement. The proposal, developed with Qatari, U.S., and Egyptian negotiators, aims for a ceasefire in Gaza, lifting the siege, and swapping Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. According to Israel, there are still 132 hostages with Palestinian groups, including 28 presumed dead. The recent violence in Gaza has resulted in over 27,000 deaths, mostly civilians.