DOHA/CAIRO/RAMALLAH/SANAA/GAZA - Hamas-Israel indirect talks are continuing in Doha without a set timeframe for their conclusion, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said Tuesday.
"As long as meetings are taking place, the delegations are present here in Doha, and all parties are communicating on a daily basis. These negotiations are ongoing," Al Ansari told a weekly media briefing, noting the continued engagement of all sides although "no timeframe" could be established at this stage.
Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediators are working "around the clock to bridge the gaps on many of the contentious and sensitive issues under discussion," so as to reach an agreement in principle that could pave the way for upcoming proximity talks, he said.
"We consider that there is no stagnation," he said.
Condemning "irresponsible Israeli policies in the region," whose danger to regional security was evident during the recent Israel-Iran fighting, Al Ansari urged the international community to take "a very clear stand against these Israeli provocations."
A new round of indirect talks between Hamas and Israel resumed on July 6 in Doha amid international efforts to end the conflict that has devastated Gaza for more than 21 months.
The Israeli military campaign in Gaza, ongoing since October 2023, has resulted in 58,479 Palestinian deaths and 139,355 injuries, Gaza-based health authorities said Tuesday.
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'Humanitarian city'
Also on Tuesday, the Arab League condemned on recent Israeli plans to confine Palestinians to a "humanitarian city" in the southern Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the Arab League affirmed that this plan "bears no relation to civility or humanitarian principles," emphasizing that the proposal reflects an "ethical decline of the occupation."
It added that the plan exposed an Israeli intent to continue "ethnic cleansing," reoccupy the Gaza Strip, and potentially pave the way for settlements.
The pan-Arab organization appealed to the international community to forcefully confront such "inhumane schemes," stressing the immediate need for a ceasefire agreement.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier this month that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces and his ministry to bring forward a plan to establish a new "humanitarian city" on the ruins of Rafah, Israeli media reported.
Palestinian tax revenues
Separately, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said Tuesday that political contacts and efforts are ongoing with various parties to recover the withheld tax revenues from Israel.
The revenues are "vitally important in enabling state institutions to continue performing their duties towards citizens," Mustafa told a weekly cabinet meeting.
The Palestinian Finance Ministry said recently that it was awaiting the transfer of May and June tax revenues from Israel.
Under existing arrangements, Israel collects customs duties and value-added taxes on goods imported into the Palestinian territories, and transfers them to the Palestinian Authority (PA) monthly.
The funds, constituting 65 percent of the PA's total financial revenues, are used to pay the salaries of public employees.
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Hamas leader killed
Hamas said Tuesday in a statement that one of its leaders Mohammed Faraj al-Ghoul was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City.
The statement did not offer further details, and there was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on the airstrike.
Houthis claim drone attacks
Yemen's Houthi group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for launching three drone attacks toward Israel earlier in the day, one targeting Eilat port and the two others a "military target" in the Negev region.
The Houthis will continue launching missile and drone attacks toward Israel until "the aggression on Gaza stops and the blockade is lifted," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli military said in a statement that it had intercepted a drone launched by Houthis toward its Red Sea city of Eilat. There were no reports of injuries or damage as a result of the attack. Meanwhile, there has been no official Israeli report concerning the Houthi attacks on Negev, southern Israel.
