Advisor to the prime minister of Qatar, Dr Majed Al-Ansari, has given a rare insight into the high stakes ceasefire negotiations taking place between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Qatar, the US and Egypt.
"There are a lot of issues that need to be agreed upon before we reach an end of deal … the only leverage we have is the fact that the mediation process is still ongoing," Dr Al-Ansari told 7.30.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said this round of talks may be the last opportunity to secure a truce and free the remaining hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accepted a US-backed "bridging proposal" to secure a Gaza ceasefire deal, initially for six weeks, ahead of a further round of negotiations. But Hamas is again calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
On Tuesday Israel said it recovered the bodies of six hostages taken on October 7.
Dr Al-Ansari says despite the mistrust between the parties, negotiations are the only way to a resolution.
"More difficult partners in peace have been on such tables in the past and signed such agreements … it is not an easy mediation to go through, it's not an easy discussion and it's not an easy … pathway towards peace."
Hamas is not physically present for the negotiations.
"It's very rare that we see direct negotiations between Hamas and Israel," he said.
"We were able to communicate between both sides every time we have [a] mediation meeting, where we bring in the mediators, our partners in Egypt and the United States and obviously the Israelis, and then we relay whatever has been discussed in that meeting in very specific language to the other side and we go back and forth between them to reach a deal."
Dr Al-Ansari told 7.30 an agreement was struck between Israel and Hamas using the same methods a week before the October 7 attack took place.
The advisor to the Qatari prime minister spoke about the difficulty of bringing together such vehemently opposed parties.
Amongst the key issues are Israeli demands to maintain a security presence on the Gaza side of the border with Egypt and a corridor in the middle of Gaza, separating the north from the south, following a ceasefire.
"This has been one of the main sticking points between both sides but we are trying to find innovative solutions … that would address both sides' concerns," Dr Al-Ansari said.
He says the warring parties have an interest in reaching a compromise due to the deteriorating crisis on the ground.
"All those involved right now I think are interested in reaching a deal because the situation on the ground is becoming more and more difficult every day for everybody."
Zomi Frankcom 'sacrificed her life'
Dr Al-Ansari has praised Australia for its role in supporting the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, saying Australia had shared "in the losses" when Zomi Frankcom was killed by an IDF drone strike on April 1.
She was delivering food while working with charity organisation World Central Kitchen.
"Zomi was working there for the people. She was sacrificing, and she did offer the highest level of sacrifice ... she sacrificed her life," he told 7.30
Asked about the current debate about allowing Palestinians seeking to escape from Gaza to come to this country, Dr Al-Ansari said it was an issue for Australia.
"The humanitarian situation in Gaza is unbearable," he said.
"We're talking about more than 40,000 dead, more than 100,000 injured or lost their capacity during this war. There is an outbreak of polio. The situation is completely inhumane."
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