DOHA: Hamas spokesman Basem Naim on Friday said that talks over a ceasefire deal between the Palestinian group and mediators are stepping up as Israel continues intensive operations in Gaza.
“We hope that the coming days will bring a real breakthrough in the war situation, following intensified communications with and between mediators in recent days,” Naim said.
The talks began Thursday evening between Hamas and mediators from Egypt and Qatar to revive a ceasefire and hostage release deal for Gaza.
Naim said Friday the proposal “aims to achieve a ceasefire, open border crossings, (and) allow humanitarian aid in.”
Most importantly, he said, the proposal aims to bring about a resumption in “negotiations on the second phase, which must lead to a complete end to the war and the withdrawal of occupation forces.”
Ceasefire collapse
A fragile ceasefire that had brought weeks of relative calm to the Gaza Strip came to an end on March 18 when Israel resumed its bombing campaign across the region.
Negotiations for a second phase of the truce had stalled — Israel sought an extension of the initial ceasefire phase, while Hamas pushed for discussions on a second stage aimed at establishing a permanent ceasefire.
It is pertinent to mention that during the first phase of the truce, which took hold on January 19, 1,800 Palestinian prisoners were freed in exchange for 33 hostages held in Gaza.
The talks in Doha began a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to seize parts of Gaza if Hamas did not release hostages, while Hamas warned that hostages would return “in coffins” if Israel did not halt its bombing of Palestinian territory.
PRCS says missing crew members’ bodies have not been found in Rafah
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has denied reports claiming that the bodies of nine missing crew members were found in Rafah.
In a statement to Al Jazeera, the PRCS clarified, “There is no truth to the news circulating about finding nine of our missing crew members in Rafah.”
“The search mission for our crew members has been called off, and the rescue team returned without locating any bodies,” the PRCS added.
The nine crew members went missing on Sunday while conducting a rescue operation in Rafah.
Gaza death toll reaches 50,251
The health ministry in Gaza said on Friday that 896 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since Israel resumed large-scale strikes on March 18.
According to the ministry’s statement, the figure included 41 people killed in the past 24 hours. It also reported that the overall death toll had reached 50,251 since the war began on October 7, 2023.
