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The eyes of the world have been on Qatar, as mediators there announced a four-day truce between Israel and Hamas.

Its foreign affairs spokesperson Majed al Ansari revealed the details of the deal, including a temporary ceasefire and the release of some Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

Follow Israel-Gaza latest: British hostages to be released today

Along with their counterparts from the US and Egypt, the Qataris have been working since the early days of the current conflict to get an agreement between the two sides.

Here, Sky News looks at why the small Gulf state plays such a key role.

Friend to everybody – friend to no one

Since the 1990s and the takeover of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani as leader, Qatar has positioned itself as a mediator in the Middle East.

“Qatar’s role as a mediator is not new,” Professor Mahjoob Zweiri, director of Qatar University’s Gulf Studies Centre, tells Sky News.

It is prepared to speak to non-state actors, tribal and militia groups that others – particularly Western countries – are not.

Over the years those groups have included the Afghan Taliban, Syrian rebels, Hamas, and other Palestinian militants such as Islamic Jihad.

Qatar also has a close relationship with Iran, with the two sharing natural gas fields worth billions.

Over the past few decades these relationships have allowed Qatar to facilitate deals between the likes of the US, Europe and Israel – and those groups – gaining some degree of leverage on both sides.

“The defining feature of Qatari foreign policy is pragmatic self-interest,” says Dr Melanie Garson, associate professor in international security and conflict resolution at University College London.

“It’s a friend to everybody – friend to no one approach.”

Relationship with Hamas

Like most Muslim-majority countries, Qatar has longstanding links to the Palestinian cause and supports a two-state solution.

In 2012 former Emir Sheikh Hamad became the first Arab leader to visit Gaza in years.

The Qataris give Hamas around £1bn a year and host its political bureau in Doha, with several exiled leaders based there.

Although it was the first Gulf state to establish relations with Israel in 1996, it severed ties again in 2009 following what Israel calls Operation Cast Lead and Palestinians refer to as the Gaza Massacre.

It was also not part of the 2020 Abraham Accords, which saw Arab states such as the UAE and Bahrain normalise relations with Israel.

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“Of all of the Gulf states, Qatar is the least friendly towards Israel, as it sits outside the axis of the Abraham Accords,” Dr Garson says. “So it was possibly the only place Hamas could comfortably sit with that level of representation.”

While there are no formal diplomatic relations, there is an “arrangement” between Qatar and the Israelis, helped along by the US, Dr Zweiri says.

“You can’t have negotiations like the ones we’re seeing at the moment without Israel at the table,” Dr Garson adds. “So they’ve had to have that pragmatic approach to including them in the conversation.”

This has allowed Doha to mediate in both the current conflict and the one in 2014.

Strategic US relationship

The US and other Western states have benefited from Qatari help in negotiating deals with powers they view as malign.

During the Syrian civil war in 2017, it helped negotiate the release of hostages held in Iraq, some of whom included members of Qatar’s ruling family.

In 2019 it presided over talks that led to the release of two Western hostages taken by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

More recently it played a key role in evacuating thousands of people when the Taliban took power again in 2021 and this year it has been working on a prisoner swap between the US and Iran.

Qatar is also home to the largest US military base in the Middle East, which means the Americans “operate their own pragmatic self-interest” in the country, Dr Garson says.

What does the rest of the world think?

Dr Zweiri says Western states view Qatar as a “trustworthy player”, which understands both its international obligations and the politics of the region.

He adds that its main aims are a ceasefire in Gaza, avoiding the “radicalisation of a new generation” there, and overall regional stability.

But Dr Garson is more sceptical, and says: “Qatar has a clear funding channel to Hamas and Hamas has objectively perpetrated a horrific massacre.

“So it could be trying to reassert its influence on Hamas to try and deflect from – what could be viewed as – complicity in fuelling the war machine that led to this in the first place.

“The reality is this is not a negotiation that should have to happen. It should have been the unconditional release of hostages.

“So I think any experienced diplomat or foreign policy specialist can see this for what it is.

“These are odious negotiations, but in that position the West has to accept any agent able to assist.

“Israel has had to have that same pragmatism – that if this is the key to getting through this quicker, that stone can’t afford to be left unturned.”

Thirteen Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas after being held for almost seven weeks.

They include four children and a number of elderly women. Their handover coincides with the release of 39 prisoners by Israel after a deal that has paused fighting between the two sides.

Sky News understands 10 Thai nationals and one Filipino hostage have also been released by Hamas.

Israel-Gaza latest: Hostages freed by Hamas now back in Israel

The names of the released Israeli hostages, who were among some 240 people kidnapped during the deadly 7 October attack, are:

Adina Moshe, 72

She was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, after Hamas militants killed her husband Sa’id Moshe.

She has four children – Maya, Yael, Sasson, and Amos – and a number of grandchildren.

Her hobbies include cooking, gardening and reading.

Margalit Berta Mozes, 78

A cancer survivor, she has diabetes and fibromyalgia, and takes additional medications for blood pressure and thyroid.

She is said to be a sworn nature lover, especially of birds, and loves hiking despite her poor health.

Last summer she went on sailing trip in northern Norway and had plans to visit Mozambique this winter. Margalit’s other hobbies include knitting.

Daniel Aloni, 45, and her five-year-old daughter Amelia

The pair were kidnapped in Nir Oz while visiting Daniel’s sister Sharon Aloni-Cunio – who was also kidnapped along with her three-year-old twins Emma and Yuli, and their father David Cunio.

On 7 October at 11am Daniel sent a “last message” to her family which said there were terrorists in the house and she was afraid they would not survive.

Ruth Munder, 78, Keren Monder, 54 and nine-year-old Ohad Monder

Ohad was kidnapped along with his mother, Keren, while they were visiting his grandmother Ruthy, who was also seized. He reportedly turned nine while in captivity. His mother is a teacher and children’s volleyball coach.

Ruth Munder’s hobbies are said to include knitting, painting and sewing. Her husband, Ohad’s grandfather, was also kidnapped and is still being held by Hamas, it is thought.

Doron Katz-Asher, 34, and her daughters Aviv, two, and Raz Katz Asher, four

The trio were kidnapped during a visit to relatives, including the girls’ grandmother, in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

Ms Katz Asher works as an accountant.

Hanna Perry, 79

The mother-of-three immigrated to Israel from South Africa in the 1960s. She works in a grocery store.

Ms Peri is said to have diabetes and suffers from severe vision loss in one eye. Her hobbies including gardening, Tai Chi and looking after her pet cat.

Footage, apparently of her, being taken away on a golf buggy went viral following Hamas’s attack.

Yaffe Adar, 85

Ms Adar has three children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

One of her grandchildren, Tamir Adar, 38, was kidnapped alongside her and is still thought to be held by Hamas.

Hana Katzir, 76

Ms Katzir was the 13th hostage to be released on Friday.

Thirteen Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas after being held for almost seven weeks. Their handover coincides with the release of 39 prisoners held by Israel.

They include four children and a number of elderly women. Their handover coincides with the release of 39 prisoners by Israel after a deal between the two sides was reached.

The names of the released Israeli hostages, who were among some 240 people kidnapped during the deadly 7 October attack, are:

Adina Moshe, 72

She was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, after Hamas militants killed her husband Sa’id Moshe.

She has four children – Maya, Yael, Sasson, and Amos – and a number of grandchildren.

Her hobbies include cooking, gardening and reading.

Margalit Berta Mozes, 78

A cancer survivor, she has diabetes and fibromyalgia, and takes additional medications for blood pressure and thyroid.

She is said to be a sworn nature lover, especially of birds, and loves hiking hike despite her poor health.

Last summer she went on sailing trip in northern Norway and had plans to visit Mozambique this winter. Margalit’s other hobbies include knitting.

Danielle Aloni and her five-year-old daughter Emilia

The pair were kidnapped in Nir Oz while visiting Danielle’s sister Sharon Aloni-Cunio – who was also kidnapped along with her three-year-old twins Emma and Yuli, and their father David Cunio.

On 7 October at 11am Danielle sent a “last message” to her family which said there were terrorists in the house and she was afraid they would not survive.

Israel-Gaza latest: Hostages freed by Hamas now back in Israel

Ruthy Munder, 78, Keren Munder, 54, and nine-year-old Ohad Munder

Ohad was kidnapped along with his mother, Keren, while they were visiting his grandmother Ruthy, who was also seized. He reportedly turned nine while in captivity.

His mother is a teacher and children’s volleyball coach. Mrs Munder senior’s hobbies are said to include knitting, painting and sewing.

Doron Katz Asher, 34, and her daughters Aviv, two, and Raz Katz Asher, four

The trio were kidnapped during a visit to relatives, including the girls’ grandmother, in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

Ms Katz Asher works as an accountant.

Hanna Peri, 79

The mother-of-three immigrated to Israel from South Africa in the 1960s. She works in a grocery store.

Ms Peri is said to have diabetes and suffers from severe vision loss in one eye. Her hobbies including gardening, Tai Chi and looking after her pet cat.

Footage, apparently of her, being taken away on a golf buggy went viral following Hamas’s attack.

Yaffa Adar, 85

Ms Adar has three children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

One of her grandchildren, Tamir Adar, 38, was kidnapped alongside her and is still thought to be held by Hamas.

Hanna Katzir, 77

Ms Katzir has been named in Israeli media as the 13th hostage to be released on Friday.

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Riots broke out in Ireland’s capital Dublin, with “huge destruction by a riotous mob” leading to the arrests of 34 people, Irish police have said.

The violent protest in Dublin was triggered by a stabbing incident outside a primary school which has left a five-year-old schoolgirl in critical condition and a female teacher in her 30s in a very serious condition.

Here’s everything we know about the attack, the riots and how the events unfolded.

The attack

Three young children, a woman in her 30s and a man in his 50s were injured after the knife attack shortly after 1.30pm on Thursday afternoon near Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire, a primary school in Parnell Square East in the north inner city.

Police say a five-year-old girl is in a critical condition in hospital while the female care assistant, in her 30s, is in a serious condition.

The girl, six, remains in hospital but the boy, five, has been discharged.

Garda said the man who sustained serious injuries at the scene is a person of interest in their investigation.

Garda Superintendent Liam Geraghty said members of the public intervened to disarm the attacker “at a very, very early stage” after the stabbings.

Authorities also confirmed that a knife was recovered and a suspect detained shortly after the incident.

They added that they were following a “definite line of inquiry” and were not looking for any other person in connection with the attack.

Do we know the attacker’s motive?

Superintendent Liam Geraghty told reporters on Thursday evening that police were “satisfied” that there was “no terror-related activity” and that the incident appeared to be a “standalone attack”.

He added that they “continue to have an open mind at this early stage of the investigation”.

When did the riots begin and what happened?

Violent scenes began unfolding close to the site of the attack early Thursday evening, with around 500 people rioting, according to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Some were armed with metal bars and covering their faces.

Police said over 400 officers were deployed in Dublin city centre to deal with the riot.

There were clashes with riot police as some demonstrators let off flares and fireworks, while others grabbed chairs and stools outside bars and restaurants.

How much damage was done?

The damage from the riots could cost tens of millions of euros, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says.

A Garda car was set alight, a Luas tram and several buses on O’Connell Street were set on fire, and another bus and car were torched on O’Connell Bridge as rioters clashed with officers.

A total of 11 Garda cars were damaged and 13 shops were significantly damaged or subjected to looting, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said.

Foot Locker and Asics shops were among those looted in O’Connell Street, as well as Arnott’s department store in nearby Henry Street.

Bottles were thrown at police on the street, and video obtained by Sky News shows a man putting a burning cardboard box into a police vehicle.

Were there any injuries in the riots?

One Garda officer received a serious injury, while “numerous” other officers were injured as missiles were thrown at them before order was restored between 9pm and 9.30pm, Commissioner Harris said.

Who were the people rioting?

According to police, far-right protesters were involved in the riot after rumours circulated about who was responsible for the attack.

Other than confirming that the injured man in his man in his 50s is a “person of interest” in their investigation, police have not released any details about the identity of a suspect.

“These are scenes that we have not seen in decades but what is clear is that people have been radicalised through social media and the internet,” said Commissioner Harris.

“We have a complete lunatic hooligan faction driven by far-right ideology, and also then this disruptive tendency engaged in serious violence.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said in a separate press conference that the rioters “brought shame on Dublin, brought shame on Ireland and brought shame on their families and themselves”.

What is happening now?

32 people are due to appear in court today in connection with the riot.

Irish Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said there could be prison sentences of up to 12 years for those convicted of attacking officers.

Ms McEntee described a “very volatile situation” and said there was a very strong Garda presence in Dublin as well as monitoring of online activity.

Commissioner Harris warned today that Garda had to make the “assumption that following the events of last night, we are going to see further protests” after blaming “a complete lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology” for the disorder on Thursday.

Meanwhile the clean-up is continuing on O’Connell Street, with burned-out Luas tram carriages lifted off the track by cranes and broken glass and missiles swept away.

There is still a heavy gardai presence in Dublin in response to the riot, but the Taoiseach has insisted that it’s safe for people to go into the city as normal.

El-Sisi spoke after a meeting with the Spanish and Belgian PMs as they try to shore up support for a peace conference.

A future Palestinian state could be demilitarised and have a temporary international security presence, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said.

“We said that we are ready for this state to be demilitarised, and there can also be guarantees of forces, whether NATO forces, United Nations forces, or Arab or American forces, until we achieve security for both states, the nascent Palestinian state and the Israeli state,” el-Sisi said on Friday during a joint news conference in Cairo with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

A political resolution which calls for a Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, has remained out of reach, el-Sisi added.

Arab nations have rejected suggestions that an Arab force could provide security in the Gaza Strip after the end of Israel’s current military operation there against the Palestinian group Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told reporters in London this week that Arab states would not want to go into a Gaza Strip that could be turned into a “wasteland” by Israel’s military offensive.

“What are the circumstances under which any of us would want to go and be seen as the enemy and be seen as having come to clean up Israel’s mess?” he said.

Shoring up support for an international peace conference

The Spanish prime minister, whose new government was sworn in earlier this month, is visiting the region alongside his Belgian counterpart. Their two countries hold the current and upcoming rotating presidencies of the Council of the European Union, respectively.

Sanchez has been trying to shore up momentum for an international peace conference aimed at securing the establishment of a “viable” Palestinian state, he told Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.

Last week, Sanchez said a Union for the Mediterranean summit in Barcelona on November 27-28 would be an “ideal place” to relaunch Israeli-Palestinian dialogue as the two sides would “sit on an equal footing” there.

Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs limited parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, are members of the Mediterranean grouping along with neighbours Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Syria.

Later on Friday, Sanchez and de Croo visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, currently the only one providing access to the besieged enclave.

De Croo called on Israel to open more of Gaza’s crossings “because innocent civilians are suffering and they need help.”

Sanchez said during the visit to Rafah that the current four-day truce in Gaza is not enough and that a permanent ceasefire was needed.

Combat between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters halted on Friday for the first time in seven weeks before the planned release of civilian hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The fighting erupted on October 7 when Hamas carried out an attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials.

Israel has responded with a devastating assault on Gaza, killing more than 15,000 people, including more than 6,000 children, according to Palestinian authorities.