Keir Simmons is chief international correspondent for NBC News, based in London.
Qatar played a central role in securing the surprise release Friday of an American mother and daughter held hostage by Hamas. Now that Judith Raanan and her daughter, Natalie, are free, negotiators in Qatar hope that the release of more captives by Hamas “could lead to wider dialogue or mediation,” aimed at averting a full-scale war, a diplomat with knowledge of the talks told NBC News on Saturday.
The diplomat said that negotiators are now hopeful that if more hostages are freed, it could clear a path to wider talks about getting humanitarian aid into Gaza, home to 2 million Palestinians. They also hope that it sets the conditions for broader talks that could limit the Israeli military operation in Gaza to one that targets Hamas' leadership and averts a full Israeli occupation of the coastal strip. The diplomat said that Qatar has been urging Hamas to free its hostages.
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