Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Mar 9: Israel will send a delegation to Doha on Monday for negotiations on renewing the ceasefire in Gaza and securing the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced.

The talks, backed by the US and mediated by Qatar and Egypt, come as Hamas signals ‘positive indicators’ regarding a second-phase agreement. Spokesman Abdul Latif Al-Qanou stated that Hamas is ready to engage in negotiations that align with Palestinian demands.

Amid mounting pressure, Israel has pushed for Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in exchange for an extension of the truce. Hamas is believed to be holding 24 living hostages and the bodies of 34 others. Last weekend, Israel cut off all supplies to Gaza to press Hamas into an agreement, a move the group claims affect hostage conditions.

The ongoing ceasefire has temporarily halted the deadliest conflict between Israel and Hamas, triggered by the militant group’s October 7 attack on southern Israel. The first phase of the truce saw 25 hostages and the remains of eight others returned in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Meanwhile, Muslim nations gathered in Saudi Arabia under the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) rejected calls to displace Gaza’s Palestinian population and endorsed an Egypt-led plan to replace Hamas with an administrative committee under the Palestinian Authority. Israel has opposed the PA's involvement but has not presented an alternative governance plan for postwar Gaza.

With mounting international attention, Israel’s military operations continue, as an airstrike in Rafah on Saturday reportedly killed two Palestinians. The conflict has claimed over 48,000 lives in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, while Hamas’ October attack left around 1,200 dead in Israel.