Israeli negotiators head to Qatar for Gaza truce talks

Israel is due to send a delegation to Doha today for a fresh round of talks on extending a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, after cutting off the electricity supply to ramp up pressure on Hamas.

The first phase of the truce ended on March 1 with no agreement on subsequent stages that could secure a permanent end to the war, but both sides have since refrained from resuming full-scale fighting.

There are still significant differences over the terms of a potential second phase of the truce, which has largely halted the violence that raged since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Hamas has repeatedly called for immediate negotiations on the next phase, while Israel prefers an extension of the current one.

Israel has halted aid deliveries to Gaza amid the deadlock, and on Sunday announced it was cutting off the electricity supply in a bid to force Hamas to release hostages.

“We will use all the tools at our disposal to bring back the hostages and ensure that Hamas is no longer in Gaza the day after” the war, Energy Minister Eli Cohen said as he ordered the power cut.

Hamas has repeatedly demanded that the second phase of the truce — brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States — would include a comprehensive hostage-prisoner exchange, a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a permanent ceasefire, and the reopening of border crossings to end the blockade.