DOHA, Qatar: Israeli negotiators arrived in Doha on Monday for a new round of talks aimed at extending the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, as tensions remain high over stalled humanitarian aid and the fate of hostages held by Hamas.
The latest negotiations come after Israel cut electricity supply to Gaza on Sunday night, in what Energy Minister Eli Cohen described as a measure to pressure Hamas into releasing captives.
“We will use all the tools at our disposal to bring back the hostages and ensure that Hamas is no longer in Gaza the day after,” Cohen said.
Despite the truce talks, Israeli airstrikes on Sunday killed three Palestinians and wounded several others in the southern city of Rafah, according to local health officials.
A day earlier, Israeli drone attacks east of Rafah killed two Palestinians, while another person was shot dead in the at-Tannour area.
The first phase of the truce, which ended on 1 March, allowed limited humanitarian aid into Gaza but left unresolved the issue of a long-term ceasefire.
Talks on the second phase, which would involve the release of remaining hostages in exchange for an end to Israeli military operations, have stalled amid key disagreements.
Hamas has insisted on immediate negotiations for the next stage, while Israel prefers an extension of the current arrangement before any further commitments.
The delay has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian crisis, with the Israeli government last week halting aid deliveries, further deepening shortages of food, water, and medical supplies.
“The Israeli decision to cut off electricity to Gaza, after depriving it of food, medicine, and water, is a desperate attempt to pressure our people and their resistance,” Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq said in response to the latest power cut.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 48,453 Palestinians have been killed and over 111,860 wounded since Israel launched the military campaign on 7 October 2023.
Ceasefire talks in Doha and Cairo
As part of ongoing diplomatic efforts, a Hamas delegation met with mediators in Cairo over the weekend, while Israel confirmed it would send representatives to Qatar.
The discussions are being brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, who are pushing for a comprehensive ceasefire and the release of hostages.
Senior Hamas official Hazem Qassem told AFP that the group expects mediators to ensure Israel “complies with the agreement and proceeds with the second phase according to the agreed-upon terms.”
The first phase of the truce saw 25 Israeli hostages and eight bodies exchanged for the release of around 1,800 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas is now demanding that the second phase include a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the lifting of the blockade, and a comprehensive prisoner exchange.
A US envoy involved in recent talks, Adam Boehler, suggested that an agreement could be reached “within weeks” to secure the release of all remaining hostages.
Speaking to CNN, Boehler said, “There could be a deal where they get all of the prisoners out, not just the Americans.”
Meanwhile, more than 50 former Israeli hostages have urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to implement the ceasefire agreement in full to secure the safe return of those still held in Gaza.
“We who have experienced the inferno know that a return to war is life-threatening for those still left behind,” the freed captives wrote in a joint letter posted on social media.
