Hamas to send delegation to Qatar for Gaza ceasefire talks

Hamas will send a delegation to Qatar to continue indirect ceasefire talks with Israel over the war in Gaza, an official from the Palestinian group said Monday, as the territory’s Health Ministry said that 38 people were confirmed dead over the past day.

The official said teams have been discussing terms for a new ceasefire agreement over recent days in Cairo, including a proposal that Hamas free eight to 10 Israeli prisoners held in Gaza.

A major sticking point remained over whether the war would end as part of any new deal, they said.

The talks in Qatar are meant to take place later this week or next, the official added.

The Hamas official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the sensitive talks with the media. Officials from Israel and Qatar had no immediate comment.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in January that lasted eight weeks before Israel resumed the war last month. The initial ceasefire agreement was meant to bring the sides toward negotiating an end to the war, something Israel has resisted doing because it wants to defeat Hamas first.

Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,600 Palestinians in Gaza since the ceasefire collapsed.

Since the ceasefire fell apart last month, Israel has blocked humanitarian aid from entering Gaza and forces have also seized swaths of the coastal enclave in a bid to ratchet up pressure on Hamas to agree to a deal more aligned with Israel’s terms.

Israeli’s war on Gaza has killed almost 51,000 people, mostly civilians, over the past 18 months, according to the Gaza-based health ministry.

The war broke out after Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, 2023, killing 1,218 people and taking 251 soldiers and civilians prisoner.

(The Associated Press)