Palestinians to decide Gaza future: Qatar

DOHA, Feb 18 (AFP): Qatar, a key mediator in the Gaza conflict, said on Tuesday that Palestinians-not outsiders-must decide the territory's future after the Israel-Hamas war.

Foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a Doha news conference that the issue was "a Palestinian question", after Israel insisted on removing Hamas and the United States proposed taking over the territory.

"From our perspective, this is a Palestinian question on what happens post this conflict," said Ansari when asked about Israel's stated objective to eliminate Hamas.

"It is a Palestinian question on who represents the Palestinians in an official capacity and also the political groups and parties in the political sphere," he said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said earlier Tuesday that negotiations for the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which Qatar helped broker, would begin this week.

The second phase of the truce is meant to facilitate the release of all remaining hostages seized during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war, and lead to a permanent end to the fighting.