Hamas says 'positive' signs for start of phase two Gaza truce talks

Hamas said on Saturday that there were "positive" signs regarding the start of negotiations for the second phase of the fragile Gaza ceasefire, as a delegation from the Palestinian group met mediators in Cairo.

"The efforts of the Egyptian and Qatari mediators are ongoing to complete the implementation of the ceasefire agreement," Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif Al-Qanoua said in a statement.

"The indicators are positive regarding the start of negotiations for the second phase," he added, without providing further details.

The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire ended on March 1 after six weeks of relative calm that included exchanges of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, though widespread hostilities have not resumed.

While Israel has said it wants to extend the first phase until mid-April, Hamas has insisted on a transition to the second phase, which should lead to a permanent end to the war.

On Saturday, a high-level Hamas delegation held talks with Egyptian officials over the second phase of the ceasefire, which largely halted more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza.

In the statement, Al-Qanoua spoke of the "necessity of obligating the mediators to ensure Israel implements the agreement," adding that "Hamas affirms its readiness to begin negotiations for the second phase to meet the demands of our Palestinian people."

Under the first phase, Gaza fighters handed over 25 living hostages and eight bodies in exchange for the release of about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Of the 251 captives taken during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war, 58 remain in the Palestinian territory, including 34 the Israeli military has confirmed are dead.

Agence France-Presse