Gaza, Feb 4 (IANS) Hamas said on Tuesday that talks on the second phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel have begun, focusing on shelter, relief, and reconstruction in the devastated Palestinian enclave.
“Currently, we focus on shelter, relief, and reconstruction for our people in the Gaza Strip,” Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif al-Qanou said in a statement.
Al-Qanou accused Israel of obstructing the implementation of the humanitarian protocol in the ceasefire agreement, adding that shelter and relief were urgent humanitarian issues that could not be delayed.
Earlier, Israel said it was preparing to send a delegation to Qatar for talks on the next phase of the agreement, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
The announcement followed Netanyahu’s meetings in Washington with US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and the US President’s special envoy to the Middle East, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Gaza deal includes a 42-day initial phase of truce, during which a total of 33 hostages and hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli jails are to be released. Talks on implementing the second phase were due to begin on the 16th day of the ceasefire, which fell on Monday.
The ceasefire, which took effect on January 19, halted 15 months of Israeli military operations in Gaza that left the enclave devastated and killed around 62,000 people, including more than 17,000 children, according to Gaza health authorities.
Earlier in the day, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Tuesday that Israel is preparing to send a delegation to Qatar for talks on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
“Israel is preparing for the working-echelon delegation to leave for Doha at the end of this week in order to discuss technical details related to the continued implementation of the agreement,” the statement said.
Next week, the Security Cabinet is expected to convene to discuss Israel’s overall position regarding the second stage of the deal, which according to the office, “will guide the continuation of the negotiations.”
Netanyahu’s office said discussions would focus on the fragile truce and efforts to end the war in Gaza. The prime minister also hinted at discussions on efforts to advance a possible normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
–IANS
int/as
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