Doha, Qatar - April 23, 2024

Storyline:
Negotiations seeking to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are now at a standstill in Doha, Qatar with the absence of U.S. and Israeli delegations, said the Qatari Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

The ministry's spokesman Majed Al-Ansari told reporters at a media briefing that there is currently no schedule for the next step in ceasefire negotiations.

The spokesman said that Qatar is reassessing its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas and condemned the remarks made by some Israeli officials on Qatar's mediation efforts, noting that Qatar is deeply frustrated by the "negative comments" and this was one of the reasons it is reassessing its role as a mediator.

He also said that Qatar is still committed to mediating a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible though the prospects are bleak.

In response to recent U.S. media reports that Hamas is considering to relocate its Doha office, the spokesman said that Qatar's approval of the establishment of a Hamas office in Doha was based on the request of the United States with the aim to facilitate communication between the two sides.

He pointed out that Qatar is still mediating between the conflicting parties of the Gaza crisis. As long as the mediation continues, the presence of a Hamas office in Doha will be conducive to the mediation work and Hamas has no reason to relocate it.

Shotlist:
Doha, Qatar - April 23, 2024:
1. Press conference in progress;
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Majed Al-Ansari, spokesman, Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
"Right now, there is nothing on the docket. We are waiting to see if there will be any change in the positions of both sides that would lead to further negotiations over the terms that are now on the table.";
3. Press conference in progress;
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Majed Al-Ansari, spokesman, Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
"Mediation is the only way to end this conflict, the only way to guarantee the security of the peoples on both sides and the only way to end the massacre and the bloodshed that is taking place right now in Gaza. And without belief in the process itself, I feel that it will be very difficult for the mediators to accomplish a result.";
FILE: Doha, Qatar - Date Unknown:
5. Various of national flag of Qatar;
Khan Younis, Gaza Strip - April 11, 2024:
6. Various of thick black smoke billowing from behind destroyed buildings;
7. Various of destroyed buildings.

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