Behind the Scenes of Gaza Deal: Qatar’s Secret Letter Becomes Turning Point in Negotiations

Kokcha News Agency: The New York Times has revealed that a confidential message from Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, to U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkopf was a key factor in the breakthrough that led to the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The letter urged the U.S. to pressure Israel into making concessions to the Palestinian side during the negotiations.

The report, based on interviews with 15 American, Israeli, and Arab officials involved in the talks, details how Kushner and Witkopf arrived in Sharm El-Sheikh on October 8 to mediate between Israel and Hamas. Initially, Hamas had agreed to release all Israeli prisoners without demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel had agreed to release thousands of Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences.

However, negotiations stalled over the extent of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas demanded a full Israeli pullback, except for a narrow strip along the border, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to keep some forces in certain Gaza cities to appease his hardline cabinet members and domestic public opinion.

To bridge the gap, Washington applied direct pressure on Israel’s chief negotiator, Ron Dermer, and President Donald Trump made three phone calls to mediators. Eventually, a compromise was reached: Israel would maintain control in some areas but withdraw from residential zones.

The report highlights that mediators focused on achieving a ceasefire and prisoner exchange rather than tackling more contentious issues like a full Israeli withdrawal or the disarmament of Hamas. Trump, after a failed assassination attempt on Hamas leaders in Doha, pressured Israel to accept the deal, assuring Netanyahu it would not harm Tel Aviv’s security interests.

On the other hand, Hamas, under pressure from Islamic and Arab countries, including Turkey and Qatar, remained at the negotiating table. Hamas leaders realized that holding Israeli prisoners gave Israel legitimacy to continue the war, prompting them to drop this demand.

By Wednesday evening, the parties in Sharm El-Sheikh were close to a final agreement. Under pressure from Kushner and Witkopf, Israel agreed to a clause that it believed would allow it to maintain control over half of Gaza. Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal left the meeting to consult with other members of the movement and later gave implicit approval during a meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Egypt’s intelligence chief.

Kushner and Witkopf informed the White House of the progress, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed Trump, stating that the parties were very close to a deal. In the final hours of the night, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Ron Dermer signed the agreement in the presence of American and Egyptian mediators. Shortly after, Trump called the participants, declaring, “Today is a great day.”