Qatar has resumed its role as a mediator in efforts to secure a truce in the Israel-Hamas war following a brief suspension, a source with knowledge of the talks said Thursday.
The Gulf emirate, along with the United States and Egypt, had been involved in months of unsuccessful negotiations for a Gaza truce and hostage release after nearly 14 months of war.
In November, Doha announced it had put its mediation on hold, saying it would resume when Hamas and Israel showed “willingness and seriousness”.
The source, speaking to AFP on Thursday on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of talks, said that Qatar has now “returned to mediation”, without elaborating on any recent meetings between officials.
The war has raged since Palestinian militant group Hamas staged the deadliest ever attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The attack on southern Israel resulted in 1,208 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed 44,580 people in the Gaza Strip, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.
