Qatar reports ‘positive atmosphere’ to start talks on 2nd phase of Gaza ceasefire deal

• Foreign Ministry spokesman says flow of Gaza humanitarian aid 'must not turn into a bargaining chip'

ANKARA

Qatar on Tuesday reported a “positive atmosphere” to start negotiations for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

“There is a positive atmosphere that may encourage the start of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari told a press conference in Doha.

He expressed hope that the negotiations will start “soon.”

Ansari said the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza was “insufficient,” stressing that it “must not turn into a bargaining chip.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said early Tuesday that negotiations for the second phase of the Gaza deal will start this week, according to Israeli media. He said Israel will demand a “full demilitarization” of the enclave.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, has decided to officially begin the discussions on the second phase next week, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority KAN.

KAN said Netanyahu informed his Security Cabinet about the decision to initiate the talks.

Israel’s condition for moving forward with the second phase is the “disarmament of Gaza and the removal of Hamas,” the public broadcaster said.

Israel also seeks to extend the release of its hostages as part of the first phase of the agreement, aiming to secure the release of more prisoners.

An unnamed Israeli political source said Netanyahu has “pledged” to allow the entry of mobile homes and engineering equipment into Gaza in exchange for the release of six living Israeli hostages and four bodies of captives.

Hamas said early Tuesday that it will transfer the bodies of four hostages on Thursday and release six living captives on Saturday.

According to KAN, the security cabinet proposed expanding the first phase of the deal to allow the entry of mobile homes and heavy machinery into Gaza in return for the release of six living Israeli captives.

The Security Cabinet held a meeting on Monday evening, but no statement was issued.

On Sunday, Ismail Al-Thawabta, who heads Gaza’s government media office, told Anadolu that no mobile homes or heavy equipment necessary for infrastructure rehabilitation had entered the enclave, warning that this delay was worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The first phase of the truce has been in place since Jan. 19, pausing Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians and left the flattened most of the enclave's infrastructure.

Under the agreement, 19 Israeli captives and five Thai workers have so far been released in exchange for 1,135 Palestinian prisoners.