The Israeli army announced that it attacked a group of suspected militants in northern Gaza, near its troops, who had placed an explosive device on the ground. According to the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, a phase that determines the release of the remaining 59 hostages held by Hamas went into effect in January. This first stage of the ceasefire recently ended, and since then Israel has imposed a total blockade on the entry of goods at the border, demanding Hamas release the remaining hostages before starting negotiations to end the war in Gaza.
Health authorities in Gaza reported that the Israeli attack left more than 48,000 Palestinians dead. Israel and Hamas have confirmed they are preparing for the next phase of ceasefire negotiations, while mediators work to extend the fragile 42-day truce that began in January.
According to a Hamas spokesperson, positive aspects for the negotiations of the second phase have been identified that would allow for the extension of the ceasefire, although no further details were provided. Israel, for its part, accepted an invitation from US-backed mediators to send a delegation to Doha, Qatar, next Monday.
Meanwhile, a delegation from Hamas is in Cairo participating in meetings for a ceasefire with Egyptian mediators, who have facilitated discussions from the beginning along with officials from Qatar. Israel has rejected accusations of genocide and war crimes.
As diplomacy continues, an Israeli airstrike carried out in Rafah, south of Gaza, resulted in the deaths of two Palestinians on Saturday, medical sources confirmed. This attack occurred a day after an Israeli drone claimed the lives of two others in Gaza. The aim of these attacks is to advance to the next stage of the agreement, which could pave the way to end the war.
