Qatar says Gaza talks in ‘final stages’, deal possible ‘very soon’

Negotiations in Doha for a Gaza truce and hostage release deal were in their “final stages”, mediator Qatar’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

“We do believe that we are at the final stages… certainly we are hopeful that this would lead very soon to an agreement,” foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a news conference, adding that “until there is an announcement… we shouldn’t be over-excited about what’s happening right now”.