US envoy in Qatar to join talks on extending fragile Gaza ceasefire
The White House’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, is in Qatar to join indirect talks between Israel and Hamas on extending the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
This week, negotiators from both sides have begun meeting mediators for the first time since President Donald Trump took office on January 20. The 42-day first phase of the Gaza deal and temporary truce came into effect on the eve of his inauguration.
That first phase ultimately saw Hamas return 25 living Israeli hostages and the remains of eight others – in exchange for about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel – as well as five living Thai hostages. It ended on March 1.
Israel now hopes the US can advance a plan for a two-month truce extension, which would start with the release of about half of the living hostages still held.
Hamas has so far rejected that, demanding immediate talks on the second phase in the original ceasefire agreement, which would end the war and lead to a full Israeli troop withdrawal.
However, it stated that it was approaching the ongoing discussions in Doha with “full responsibility and positivity”.
Since the start of this month, Israel has blocked all aid deliveries – including food and fuel – to Gaza, saying it aims to put pressure on Hamas.
Electricity has also been cut to the only desalination plant in the territory providing clean water, so that it is now running at a reduced capacity on generators using fuel reserves.
In response, the Houthi movement in Yemen said on Tuesday that it would restart attacks on Israeli ships passing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, threatening to throw a key maritime route into chaos once again.
There is growing alarm at the potential impact of Israel blocking goods to Gaza, with some of its allies warning that this could violate international law.
The local UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator, Muhannad Hadi, has stated: “Any further delays [on aid entering] will further reverse any progress we have managed to achieve during the ceasefire.”
“We pray that these matters get resolved urgently,” a baker, Husam Rustom, told the BBC.
With the halt to supplies of flour and cooking gas, he said his bakery – which had been providing over 2,000 packs of bread a day – had been forced to close as well as several others in the southern city of Khan Younis.
—BBC
