Qatar confirms continued coordination with Washington to release Israeli prisoners in Gaza

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani affirmed the continued coordination of the State of Qatar with the United States of America and international partners to release prisoners and reduce the escalation in the Gaza Strip.

A statement by the Qatari Foreign Ministry said that Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani received on Saturday a phone call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and the call dealt with bilateral relations between the two countries and the latest developments in the Palestinian territories and Israel, and ways to reduce escalation.

The statement pointed out that the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister confirmed during the call the continuation of the State of Qatar's coordination with the United States of America and international partners to release prisoners and reduce the escalation in the Gaza Strip.

During the call, the Secretary of State thanked Qatar for its efforts in securing the release of the two American citizens from the Gaza Strip.

Blinken said in a post on the X website that he also thanked Qatar for its efforts to promote security and stability in the region.

Spoke with Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs @MBA_AlThani_ today about the crisis in Israel and Gaza and thanked him for Qatar's work to secure the return of two missing Americans as well as Qatar's efforts to advance security and stability in the region.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 21, 2023

On Friday, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), released two American detainees, a mother and her daughter, on "humanitarian grounds" in response to Qatari mediation efforts.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari said the release of the two US nationals "reassures us, as well as our partners, that the efforts made in recent days are effective and must continue". He stressed that the ongoing discussions could lead to the release of more prisoners "very soon".

"I can't promise you that this will happen today, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. "But we are on a path that will very soon lead to the release of prisoners, especially civilians."

Earlier, Abu Obeida, spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed that there were between 200 and 250 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, 200 of whom were held by the brigades. The Israeli military said the families of 203 soldiers had been informed that their sons were being held in the Gaza Strip.