Gaza : – According to the senior Hamas official said that a fresh round of Gaza ceasefire talks began on Tuesday (Mar 11) in the Qatari capital Doha, with the Palestinian movement approaching the negotiations “positively and responsibly”.
“A new round of ceasefire negotiations began today,” Abdul Rahman Shadid said in a statement. “Our movement is dealing with these negotiations positively and responsibly.”
Israel has also sent a team of negotiators for talks aimed at extending the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, but has so far not commented on the talks.
“We hope that the current round of negotiations leads to tangible progress toward beginning the second phase,” Shadid said.
He also expressed hope that US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff would help “initiate negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement”.
“The US administration bears responsibility due to its unwavering support for the occupying (Israeli) government.”
The first 42-day phase of the truce deal expired in early March without agreement on subsequent stages meant to secure a lasting end to the war, which erupted after Hamas’s Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
There are differing views on how to proceed, with Hamas seeking immediate negotiations for the next phase, while Israel wants to extend the first phase.
Hamas has accused Israel of reneging on the ceasefire deal, stating in a statement on Monday that Israel “refuses to commence the second phase, exposing its intentions of evasion and stalling”.
Ahead of the current round of talks, Israel halted the supply of electricity to Gaza’s only desalination plant, a move Hamas condemned as “cheap and unacceptable blackmail.”