An Israeli delegation arrived in Doha on Wednesday to negotiate a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, according to Israeli media reports.
Abdel Rahman Shadid, a senior Hamas leader, confirmed that a new round of ceasefire negotiations had begun, emphasizing that the group is approaching the talks “positively and responsibly.” He expressed hope that this round would lead to tangible progress and pave the way for the second phase of the agreement. He also acknowledged the role of US envoy Steve Witkoff in facilitating the talks.
Meanwhile, violence in Gaza has continued despite ceasefire efforts. The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that 36 people were killed in the past 24 hours—including 32 bodies recovered from rubble—bringing the total death toll to 48,503, with 111,927 wounded since 7 October 2023.
Hamas has also condemned the prolonged power outage in Gaza, describing it as a “war crime” that threatens a humanitarian catastrophe due to dehydration. The group stated that the severing of the limited power line supplying the Deir al-Balah desalination plant exacerbates the crisis, accusing Israel of using water and food as weapons against civilians.
Salama Maarouf, head of Gaza’s government media office, claimed that Israeli forces have repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement since its inception, leading to dozens of casualties. He reported that Israeli actions over the past week had resulted in the deaths of 20 Palestinians and that, between January 19 and March 11, there were over 1,300 alleged ceasefire violations.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Ansar Allah group (commonly known as the Houthi) announced the resumption of attacks on Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and the Gulf of Aden. The group declared that its operations would continue until crossings into Gaza were reopened and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, was allowed into the territory.
