Qatar will host a meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday to try to reach a ceasefire agreement with Israel to bring an end to 12 days of warfare, a senior Qatari source told Reuters.
Due to take place in Doha, the meeting will be headed by the Gulf state's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who has been acting as a "channel of communication" between Hamas and the international community, said the senior source familiar with the matter.
"Qatar has presented Hamas' requests to the international community, the list has been presented to France and to the U.N., the talks tomorrow will be to further negotiate these conditions."
Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has rejected Egyptian efforts to end fighting that has killed more than 300 Palestinians, mostly civilians, saying any deal must include an end to a blockade of the coastal area and a recommitment to a ceasefire reached in an eight-day war there in 2012. A U.N. statement said that Ban will be traveling to the Middle East over the weekend "to express solidarity with Israelis and Palestinians and to help them, in coordination with regional and international actors, to end the violence and find a way forward".
IN-DEPTH
- Hamas Fighters Slip Into Israel, Kill 2 Soldiers
- No End in Sight? More Than 300 Palestinians Killed
- Why Israel Is Determined to Destroy Gaza Tunnels