(VOVWORLD) - 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.
 Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip, March 5, 2025. (Photo: Reuters/Mahmoud Al-Basos) |
Hamas said there were "positive indicators" for the start of the ceasefire's second-phase talks but did not elaborate.
Israel also said it was preparing for talks. "Israel has accepted the invitation of the mediators backed by the US, and will send a delegation to Doha on Monday in an effort to advance the negotiations," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.
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 conflict.
Amid ongoing diplomatic efforts, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed four Palestinians over two days. On Saturday, an airstrike in Rafah targeted individuals retrieving a drone that had crossed from Israel, which the military linked to a failed smuggling attempt. A day earlier, another Israeli drone strike in northern Gaza killed two people suspected of planting an explosive device near Israeli troops.