Middle East

Hamas confirms start of negotiations on 2nd phase of Gaza ceasefire deal

‘We are focused on shelter, relief, and rebuilding for our people in Gaza,’ Hamas spokesman says

Yakoota Al Ahmad and Mohammad Sio  | 04.02.2025 - Update : 04.02.2025
Hamas confirms start of negotiations on 2nd phase of Gaza ceasefire deal

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Palestinian resistance group Hamas confirmed Tuesday that negotiations of the second phase for the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement have started.

“The second-phase negotiations and contacts have started, and we are focused on shelter, relief, and rebuilding for our people in Gaza,” group spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanoua said in a statement.

He accused Israel of “delaying the implementation of humanitarian protocols in the ceasefire agreement and stalling its execution.”

“Shelter and humanitarian aid are urgent priorities that cannot be subject to Israeli delays,” he added.

Qanoua stressed that rebuilding hospitals, repairing roads, and restoring water wells are essential to reviving life in Gaza after the extensive destruction caused by the Israeli war.

Israel said early Tuesday that it will send a negotiating team to Qatar this weekend for talks on the second phase of the Gaza deal.

A statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the team will discuss “technical details related to continuing to carry out” the agreement.

The announcement came after a meeting between Netanyahu and US special envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz in Washington during which they discussed the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Negotiations on the second phase of the agreement were scheduled to start on Monday, but Netanyahu decided not to send his negotiators to Doha until he meets with Trump later Tuesday.

The first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement took hold in Gaza on Jan. 19, halting Israel’s war that killed more than 47,500 people and left the enclave in ruins.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.
Related topics
Bu haberi paylaşın