Main events on March 8th
- Israel says it will send a delegation to the Qatari capital, Doha, on Monday to advance talks on captive exchanges and the ceasefire in Gaza after accepting an invitation from mediators.
- Hamas says it sees “positive indicators” for the start of talks on a second phase of the truce and denies reports it has signalled an openness to a temporary ceasefire instead of an end to Israel’s war.
- Israel launched drone attacks across Gaza, killing at least two people and wounding more than a dozen, and defied global calls to lift its blockade on all aid into the Strip.
- Families and supporters of Israeli captives rallied in Tel Aviv and Haifa, urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move on to phase two of the truce and calling on US President Donald Trump to get their loved ones home.
- Four European powers and the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) endorsed an Egypt-led proposal for Gaza’s reconstruction that counters Trump’s expulsion proposal.
- Israeli forces continued their offensive in the occupied West Bank, opening fire on people in the town of Dura, south of Hebron, as Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the Masafer Yatta area.
Hamas calls for immediate negotiations on phase two
Hamas says its officials have met with the head of Egypt’s general intelligence agency, Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, in Cairo, to discuss progress on implementing the Gaza ceasefire.
“The delegation emphasised the necessity of adhering to all terms of the agreement, proceeding immediately to initiate negotiations for the second phase, opening the border crossings, and allowing the entry of relief materials into Gaza without any restrictions or conditions,” it said.
Hamas also backed the Egypt-led proposal for Gaza’s reconstruction, including its call for a transitional government to manage the territory until elections can take place.
“The delegation confirmed the movement’s approval to form a Community Support Committee composed of independent national figures to manage Gaza until the Palestinian house is organised and general elections at all national, presidential, and legislative levels are conducted,” it said.
Families of Israeli captives pile pressure on Netanyahu
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has released a statement confirming that Israel will dispatch a negotiating team to the Qatari capital Doha to meet with mediators to see what’s going to come next as part of the ceasefire deal.
Israel says they want to extend phase one of the deal in order to bring about the release of as many captives as possible, but without committing to phase two.
Hamas has said previously that this is a red line for them, that they entered into this deal that’s in multiple phases to reach an end of the war.
But Israel has gone so far as to cut off all humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip for around a week now, to put that pressure on Hamas to cave to Israel’s demands.
Nonetheless, there’s still so much pressure on the Israeli prime minister from family members of Israeli captives who are accusing the premier of prolonging the war for his own personal and political gain.
They say that phase two of this deal is the only way to ensure the release of the remaining captives in Gaza.
Essay Pro