Since the ceasefire came into effect on January 19, Israel has continuously violated it by carrying out attacks on the Gaza Strip and completely blocking the entry of aid.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and an Israeli delegation will visit Qatar on Monday and Tuesday for Gaza ceasefire talks, over a week after the first phase expired.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced that an Israeli delegation will travel to Doha on Monday in an “effort to advance negotiations”.
Mediators Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. had brokered the deal between Hamas and Israel on January 15, just days before Trump’s inauguration after he repeatedly threatened “hell” would break loose if an agreement was not reached.
The first phase ended on March 1, resulting in the release of 33 Israeli captives, including eight bodies, in addition to five Thai workers over nine separate exchanges.
Israel has also released 1,755 Palestinian prisoners from its jails within the same period following several delays.
Efforts by the mediators to jumpstart the negotiations have been ongoing in order to begin the second phase of the deal.
A Hamas delegation led by Mohammad Darwish, the head of Hamas’ leadership council, travelled to Cairo on Sunday where they met the head of Egyptian intelligence, Hassan Rashad.
The Palestinian group said that the discussions took place “in a positive and responsible spirit”.
“The delegation emphasised the necessity of adhering to all of the agreement’s terms and to immediately initiate negotiations for the second phase, opening the crossings and allowing relief supplies to enter the Strip without any restrictions or conditions,” Hamas said in a statement.
Hamas added that it agreed to form “a community support committee” consisting of independent national figures to manage the Gaza Strip until general elections are held at the national, presidential and legislative levels.
Meanwhile, Israel – backed by the Trump administration – has been pushing to extend the first phase of the deal to release additional captives. A total of 59 captives are still in the Gaza Strip, including 22 who are still alive and 35 that have been killed by Israel’s relentless bombardment.
The captives include five Americans including 21-year-old Edan Alexander who is believed to be the only one alive. Alexander’s release was brought up in rare direct talks between Hamas and Washington in recent weeks.
Israel cuts off electricity in Gaza Strip
Israel’s 15-month genocide has caused a dire humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, and killed more than 61,709 Palestinians, with thousands still trapped under the rubble.
Israel’s violations of the deal have persisted since it came into effect on January 19 by carrying out several attacks on the Gaza Strip and completely blocking the entry of aid and life-saving supplies.
On Sunday, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen decided to cut off electricity from the Gaza Strip’s last operating power facility. Israel had already cut off power supplies since the beginning of the genocidal war on October 7, 2023.
Top Hamas official Izzat Al-Rishq slammed Israel’s decision, describing it as “a continuation of its policy of collective punishment” against Palestinians in the Strip.
“This policy began on the first day of its aggression against Gaza on October 7, 2023[…]in an act of desperate coercion aimed at pressuring our people and their resistance through cheap and unacceptable blackmail,” he said.
“We warn the occupation against continuing these crimes and affirm that the Palestinian people and their resistance will not succumb to these pressures. They will continue to stand firm until freedom and victory are achieved,” he noted.
