After weeks of negotiations in Doha, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Hamas militant group was announced on Thursday, a deal brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.

The agreement halts the current active conflict between the parties, which has been ongoing since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,200 people and the abduction of about 250 more. The Israeli military campaign in Gaza that followed has resulted in the deaths of more than 46,000 people, including an estimated 18,000 children.

In a press conference late on Wednesday, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the ceasefire's first phase would start on Sunday and extend for 42 days. Hamas will release 33 of the 98 remaining hostages in Gaza, and hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel will be released in exchange.

The deal should also lead to a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, Al Thani said.

This is far from the first time that Qatar has been involved in resolving global conflicts. Qatar has helped negotiate deals to release Americans held in Iran, Afghanistan and Venezuela and return Ukrainian children to their families after they were taken to Russia.

Qatar has also presided over diplomatic breakthroughs between Sudan and Chad, and Eritrea and Djibouti, as well as the 2011 Darfur peace deal.

In 2020, Qatar helped negotiate the US's withdrawal from Afghanistan with the extremist Taliban group. And, in November 2023, Qatari negotiators helped reach a temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

"Qatar's emergence as a key mediator has elevated its........

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