Doha (TDI): Qatar says Hamas’s latest declaration has created a “breakthrough” in efforts to move the Gaza ceasefire process into its second phase.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said Israel’s rejection of the current peace plan continues to delay implementation of earlier agreements.
Qatar, which has been mediating alongside Egypt and Türkiye, now appears to believe Hamas has moved far enough for Israel to respond, placing greater focus on whether the Israeli government is prepared to take the next step.
The main obstacle remains the sequence of implementation. Hamas says disarmament cannot be separated from Israeli withdrawal and guarantees that military operations will not resume, while Israel insists that Hamas must be fully disarmed before any meaningful withdrawal takes place.
Qatar has called for greater international pressure to move the second phase forward and says it remains engaged with the United States, Egypt and Türkiye.
Verification Could Decide the Next Phase
The wider challenge is to find a mechanism that allows both sides to take reciprocal steps without either being asked to move first without guarantees.
This is where an international verification mechanism could become important. Hamas could surrender or decommission weapons in stages, with each verified step linked to an Israeli withdrawal or another part of the agreement.
If Qatar and the other mediators believe Hamas has already taken a sufficient step, Washington may eventually have to decide whether to increase pressure on Israel or revise the framework again around Israeli security concerns.
For now, the plan remains alive, but its next phase depends on whether the mediators can turn Hamas’s latest commitment into a reciprocal Israeli move.
Anoush Taimur is an International Relations graduate from DHA Suffa University, Karachi, currently based in Doha. Her research interests include Gulf politics, small-state diplomacy, Global South studies and conflict
mediation. Her work examines how states create influence through connectivity, institutions and strategic relationships. She can be reached at [email protected]
