Israel, Hamas signal readiness for next ceasefire talks as mediators push for progress

Nidal Al-Mughrabi - Reuters - 08/03
Israel has imposed a total blockade on all goods entering the enclave, demanding that Hamas free remaining hostages without beginning the negotiations to end the Gaza war.
  • Israel to send delegation to Doha on Monday for ceasefire talks
  • Hamas sees positive signs for second-phase ceasefire negotiations
  • Israeli airstrike kills two Palestinians in Rafah, medical sources say
CAIRO/JERUSALEM, March 8 (Reuters) - Israel and Hamas signaled on Saturday they were preparing for the next phase of ceasefire negotiations, as mediators pushed ahead with talks to extend the fragile 42-day truce that began in January.
Hamas said there were "positive indicators" for the start of the ceasefire's second-phase talks but did not elaborate. Israel said it would send a delegation to Qatar's Doha on Monday to advance negotiations after accepting an invitation from mediators.
A delegation from Hamas is engaging in ceasefire talks in Cairo with Egyptian mediators who have been helping facilitate the talks along with officials from Qatar. They aim to proceed to the next stage of the deal, which could open the way to ending the war.
"We affirm our readiness to engage in the second-phase negotiations in a way that meets the demands of our people, and we call for intensified efforts to aid the Gaza Strip and lift the blockade on our suffering people," Hamas spokesman, Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua, said in a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said: "Is...
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