ISRAEL: Qatari Spox Says Ceasefire-For-Hostage Deal Talks "Close To Stalemate"

A spox for the Qatari Foreign Ministry has said that indirect talks between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire-for-hostages deal remain "close to a stalemate". This mirrors language from PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani speaking last week, indicating no movement on any agreement since then. 

• On the ICC prosecutor seeking arrest warrants against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Min Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders, says that "It is too early for Qatar to comment...but we support the general concept of accountability". Adds that "All organisations and states should be held responsible for the killing of civilians."
• UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, has called for a resumption in talks, saying to the UNSC on 20 May that “I urge the parties to redouble all efforts and return to the negotiating table immediately and in good faith,"
• There have been no indirect talks in Doha or Cairo since early May. The Israeli gov't remains in a somewhat fragile state following the ICC prosecutor's call, and Security Cabinet member Benny Gantz's threatening to resign from the national unity gov't should no post-war plan for Gaza be presented by 8 June. 
• Should Gantz and his National Unity resign from the gov't, Netanyahu's right-wing coalition would still hold a majority. However, it would face greater political attacks from outside and given the low national support for the PM amid the slow progress in returning hostages, the coalition could prove vulnerable to collapse.