Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the United States of America issued a joint statement today, Friday, regarding their discussions over the past 48 hours to reach an agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The statement said: "Over the past 48 hours in Doha, senior officials from our governments have engaged in intensive discussions as mediators with the aim of concluding a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and releasing hostages and detainees. These talks were serious, constructive, and conducted in a positive atmosphere."

The statement clarified: "Earlier today in Doha, the United States, with the support of Qatar and Egypt, presented both parties with a proposal that narrows the gaps between them and aligns with the principles set by President Biden on May 31, 2024, and Security Council Resolution No. 2735," and this proposal builds on points of agreement achieved over the past week, closing remaining gaps in a way that allows for the swift implementation of the agreement."

It continued: "Technical teams will continue to work in the coming days on the details of implementation, including arrangements for executing the comprehensive humanitarian aspects of the agreement, as well as the aspects related to hostages and detainees."

The three countries stated: "Senior officials from our governments will meet again in Cairo before the end of next week, hoping to reach an agreement according to the terms put forth today. As mentioned by the leaders of the three countries last week (there is no more time to waste and no excuses can be accepted from any party justifying further delay. It is time to release the hostages and detainees, initiate the ceasefire, and implement this agreement)."

The statement concluded: "The path is now paved to achieve this outcome, save lives, provide relief to the people of Gaza, and ease regional tensions."

On another note, a informed diplomatic source confirmed that the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, made two calls to Tehran in the past two days to keep it informed of the discussions, once yesterday and once today. The source explained that the Qatari Prime Minister spoke twice with the acting Iranian Foreign Minister, Ali Bagheri Kani.

The Qatar News Agency "QNA" reported that "during the call, the latest developments in the situation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories were discussed, the status of joint mediation efforts to end the war in the sector, the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, and the necessity of de-escalation and reducing tensions in the region."

In the same context, a leading source in Hamas stated that what was communicated to the movement’s leadership today regarding the results of the Doha meetings for a ceasefire does not include commitment to what was agreed upon on July 2nd.