Qatari official says 'all loose ends' on Israel ceasefire are tied and set for Sunday implementation

A Qatar foreign ministry spokesperson told Just The News on Thursday that the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire is ready to take effect this Sunday, as all of the loose ends have been tied.

Israel and Hamas on Wednesday reached a deal that will halt fighting in Gaza, and includes the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday claimed there was a "last minute crisis" with Hamas that prevented the deal from being finalized.

Dr. Majed Al-Ansari, an advisor to the Qatari Prime Minister and a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that just a couple of formalities remain in officially finalizing the deal, but that all the major negotiations are finished.

"I can tell you that all the loose ends have been tied, and we're set for for Sunday," Ansari said on the "Just The News, No Noise" TV show. "Of course, there are some formalities here and there to to be finalized, but when it comes to discussion of both sides and the grievances of both sides are they are all addressed, and we are now ready to go."

Ansari said it had been a long negotiation process, which picked up after President-elect Donald Trump firmly told both sides that he wanted a deal, but that the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt are ready to monitor the prisoner exchange and flow of aid into Gaza. 

The countries will be monitoring the ceasefire from a room in Egypt.

"The main two things to be watching right now are the prisoner exchanges, how they are happening on the ground, how successful they are, and how they stick to the articles of the deal," Ansari said. "The second thing is how many trucks are going in when it comes to aid, [and] how aid is being distributed."

Ansari added that he hopes both sides will stick to the agreement.

"The people in the region, including the Israeli families, deserve a moment where they see their family members return home and they rejoice with their families," the official said. "I've been talking to hostage family members for the past couple of days, and I can tell you that hope is now the sign of the times."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.