Qatar confirmed on Tuesday that Israel and Hamas are “not close to an agreement” regarding a truce in the war that has been raging between them since October 7 in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari said during a press conference in Doha, “We are not close to reaching an agreement, and this means that we do not see the two sides agreeing on a language that can resolve the current dispute over implementing an agreement.”

After weeks of negotiations between the two parties to the conflict, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, regarding a truce and prisoner exchange, the month of Ramadan began on Monday, amid continued artillery shelling and air strikes amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Al-Ansari stressed, "We are continuing to work on negotiations to reach an agreement, hopefully during the month of Ramadan." But he explained that he could not "provide any timetable" for reaching an agreement, noting that "the situation is very complex on the ground."