Mediators Delay Talks To Secure Gaza Hostage Swap

Qatar’s prime minister said mediators chose to pause hard talks so a cease-fire and a quick hostage-prisoner exchange could happen in Gaza. He spoke soon after Israel and Hamas agreed to stop fighting and trade all remaining hostages in Gaza for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. He said the sides were not ready for a full peace deal.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said talks on tougher issues, like Hamas’s weapons and future rule in Gaza, will come later. “If we went for full-package negotiations, we wouldn’t have reached these results,” he said in Paris. He met with leaders from France, Arab states, and Europe about plans for Gaza after the war. He also said Hamas showed openness to discuss how it would not be a threat to Israel.

Some parts of Hamas still reject giving up weapons. Others say the group should be more practical. The war has weakened Hamas, and it faces splits inside its ranks. By releasing the last hostages, Hamas gave up a major lever over Israel without clear promises that it will win all its aims.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Hamas must be disarmed for the war to end for good. He said Gaza will be demilitarized, either by talks or by force. “Either it will be achieved the easy way, or it will be achieved the hard way,” he said.

A plan backed by the United States calls for a temporary international stabilization force to enter Gaza. The force would help train police and secure borders. As the force takes control, Israeli troops would pull back based on agreed standards, steps, and timelines tied to demilitarization. Qatar’s prime minister said the next talks should focus on setting up this force, which links to Hamas’s disarmament and further Israeli withdrawals.

It is not clear when negotiations on the remaining issues will begin. Key questions include who would take Hamas’s weapons and who will govern Gaza after the war. Mediators say progress will require firm guarantees so that fighting does not restart and both sides see clear benefits from each step.