DOHA – Qatar has begun discussions with the incoming Trump administration regarding Gaza, signaling optimism for a potential ceasefire agreement following the U.S. election, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced on Saturday.
The war in Gaza, ongoing for over 14 months, has devastated the enclave, with more than 44,000 Palestinians reported killed, according to Gaza health authorities. Israeli forces continue their offensive aimed at eliminating Hamas and recovering hostages taken by the militant group.
Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy has already visited Qatar and Israel in an effort to advance ceasefire negotiations and secure a hostage release agreement before Trump’s presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, a source familiar with the talks said on Thursday.
“We have seen a lot of encouragement from the incoming administration to achieve a deal even before the President takes office, and that’s actually motivated us to move things back on track,” Al Thani said during a conference in Doha.
Steve Witkoff, set to serve as Trump’s Middle East envoy, reportedly met separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Al Thani in late November.
Trump made a return to the international stage on Saturday by attending the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. It remains unclear if he held any meetings with other leaders apart from French President Emmanuel Macron.