Qatar PM-FM meets Hamas leaders as Gaza ceasefire roadmap faces hurdles

Qatar’s PM-FM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Doha as mediators push to advance the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire.Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met Hamas political bureau chief Khalil al-Hayya and other senior leaders in Doha on Wednesday to discuss developments in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.Sheikh Mohammed welcomed Hamas’s decision to accept a roadmap for implementing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, expressing hope it would help ease the suffering of Palestinians and advance security and stability in the territory.He also called on the international community to pressure Israel to fulfil its commitments under the agreement and halt violations of Palestinian rights, saying this was necessary to ensure the roadmap could be implemented and pave the way for lasting peace.The meeting comes as efforts to advance U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan face significant obstacles. U.S. envoy Jared Kushner met al-Hayya, who was elected as Hamas’s chief last month, and other Hamas representatives in Egypt on Sunday as part of efforts to revive the stalled roadmap, with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators also involved in the discussions.The U.S.-backed plan calls for Hamas to disarm and Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza, alongside the establishment of a civilian Palestinian administration and a wider reconstruction effort. Hamas has expressed conditional support for the roadmap, while insisting on an end to Israeli attacks and withdrawal before completing disarmament. Israel, meanwhile, has maintained that Hamas must disarm before a full withdrawal.On Sunday, the foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt condemned Israel’s reported rejection of the roadmap for implementing Trump’s plan, warning that it could undermine efforts to end the war and achieve lasting peace.The ministers said the roadmap, accepted by Palestinian factions, was the result of intensive mediation by Qatar, Egypt, Türkiye, the U.S. and other partners. They called for its full and immediate implementation and urged continued U.S. engagement, while calling on the Peace Council to take steps to advance the process.Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said on Tuesday that Hamas’s acceptance of the plan, including provisions concerning disarmament, was an important step that now required Israel to fulfil its commitments under both phases of the agreement. “Many commitments tied to the first phase, and some tied to the second phase, have not yet been implemented by the Israeli side,” Al Ansari said in a press briefing.Qatar has remained a key mediator alongside Egypt and the U.S., continuing to push for de-escalation, humanitarian access and the implementation of agreed arrangements in Gaza.