DOHA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- There is "positive engagement right now" between Hamas and Israel as Qatar is holding separate discussions with delegations of both parties in Doha, spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said Tuesday.
Formal talks have not yet begun, but through the separate discussions, "we hope that we can establish a framework that would be instrumental for the talks to succeed and take less time than they would otherwise," Al Ansari told a media briefing.
There is currently no timeline for the formal talks as the process "will need time," he added.
A new round of indirect talks between Hamas and Israel resumed Sunday in Doha amid international efforts to end the conflict that has devastated Gaza for more than 20 months.
On Friday, Hamas confirmed it had submitted a "positive" response to mediators regarding an updated ceasefire proposal presented by Qatar and based on an initiative from U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
In an official statement, Hamas expressed "serious readiness" to negotiate the implementation of the proposal.
A Palestinian source told Xinhua that Hamas proposed "limited" amendments to the proposal, including calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from certain areas of Gaza, restoring UN-led humanitarian aid operations, and ensuring that negotiations will continue beyond the initial 60-day period to reach a permanent ceasefire.
However, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the proposed changes "unacceptable." Nonetheless, Israel agreed to dispatch a team to Doha to participate in the indirect talks. ■
