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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Qatar says Palestinians must decide future of Gaza and Hamas, not Israel or US
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Hamas gunmen secure an area before handing over Israeli hostages to a Red Cross team in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on February 15, 2025 (Photo by Bashar TALEB / AFP)
Qatar, a key mediator in the Gaza conflict, says that Palestinians — not outsiders — must decide the territory’s future after the Israel-Hamas war.
Foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari tells a Doha news conference that the issue was “a Palestinian question,” after Israel insisted on removing Hamas and the United States proposed taking over the territory.
“From our perspective, this is a Palestinian question on what happens post this conflict,” says Ansari when asked about Israel’s stated objective to eliminate Hamas.
“It is a Palestinian question on who represents the Palestinians in an official capacity and also the political groups and parties in the political sphere,” he says.
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