Israel and Gaza based Hamas militant group have signalled to hold talks for the second phase of ceasefire negotiations as mediators rushed to hold a meeting between the two after the fragile first phase of ceasefire agreement of 42 days got over last week, which started on January 19, Reuters reported.
Without elaborating, Hamas said that there were “positive indicators” for the start of fresh talks for negotiations to continue the ceasefire talks.
Israel accepted the invitation by the mediators and informed that it would be sending its delegation to Qatar’s Doha on Monday to advance the negotiation with Hamas for the second phase of truce.
Mourners gather around the convoy carrying the coffins of slain hostages Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir, during their funeral procession in Rishon Lezion, Israel. The mother and her two children were abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and their remains were returned from Gaza to Israel last week as part of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. (AP Photo)
With officials from Qatar, the Egyptian mediators have been facilitating talks for the ceasefire and a delegation from Hamas is already engaging in negotiations for an extension of the ceasefire deal in Cairo.
Hamas spokesperson, Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua in a statement said, “We affirm our readiness to engage in the second-phase negotiations in a way that meets the demands of our people, and we call for intensified efforts to aid the Gaza Strip and lift the blockade on our suffering people,” Reuters reported.
But grey clouds flew over the skies of Gaza as an Israeli airstrike on Saturday killed two Palestinians in Rafah in southern Gaza, medical sources informed Reuters. It came after another Israeli drone strike killed two people in Gaza on Friday.
Detailing the acceptance of the invitation for talks, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said, “Israel has accepted the invitation of the mediators backed by the US, and will send a delegation to Doha on Monday in an effort to advance the negotiations.”
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