Qatar ruler meets with Hamas, US envoys over Gaza ceasefire talks

Qatar's ruler met with Hamas representatives and the Middle East envoys for the incoming and outgoing US administrations on Monday as part of a push to cement an elusive ceasefire deal in Gaza.

Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and a delegation from the Palestinian militant group headed by lead negotiator Khalil al-Hayya discussed "developments in the ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip, which aim to achieve a long-term truce", his office said in a statement.

The Qatari ruler also met with Steve Witkoff, US President-elect Donald Trump's expected Middle East envoy, and Brett McGurk, the incumbent Joe Biden's envoy for the region, the emir's office said in a separate statement.

Mediating nation Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States, has been engaged in months of talks between Israel and Hamas that have failed to end the devastating conflict in Gaza.

Since early January, indirect negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have resumed in Doha to strike a ceasefire deal that would facilitate the release of dozens of hostages still held in Gaza.