Doha, Jan 14 (IANS): Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas' political bureau, according to a statement from the Emiri Diwan, the administrative office of the emir.
The two sides have held discussions focusing on the ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations and efforts to secure a long-term truce in the Palestinian enclave, said the statement.
The meeting took place as a senior Hamas official said earlier in the day that the group has delivered a "positive" response to a draft of the Gaza ceasefire deal offered by mediators in the Qatari capital Doha, Xinhua news agency reported.
During the meeting, the emir also reaffirmed Qatar's unwavering stance on the Palestinian cause and its firm support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Meanwhile, Hamas delivered a "positive" response to a draft of the Gaza ceasefire agreement offered by mediators in the Qatari capital Doha, a senior Hamas official said.
An official familiar with the negotiation process in Doha, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "Hamas did not express any objection to the draft, hoping that a ceasefire will be reached as soon as possible to end the suffering of the Palestinian people in the coastal enclave."
"Currently, we are waiting for the final Israeli response," he added.
Earlier on Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar confirmed that "progress" had been made in the talks held in Qatar, and Israel "is working hard to reach a deal."
Over the past months, the efforts by mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the US have failed to reach a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas since the first truce, which lasted a week between November and December 2023.
Israel and Hamas have been engaged in a deadly conflict after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostages.