Gaza: US envoy in Qatar for talks on extending ceasefire

U.S. White House envoy Steve Witkoff is currently in Qatar participating in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding the extension of the fragile ceasefire agreement in Gaza. This week marks the first time negotiators from both sides have met with mediators since President Donald Trump took office on January 20, aiming to explore the possibility of extending the ceasefire agreement.

The previously reached Gaza agreement, with its first phase lasting 42 days, went into effect just before President Trump's inauguration. This phase ultimately led to Hamas releasing 25 living Israeli hostages and the remains of 8 deceased, in exchange for Israel releasing approximately 1,800 Palestinian prisoners and 5 living Thai hostages. The first phase concluded on March 1.

Israel is currently hoping the U.S. can push for a two-month extension of the ceasefire plan, which would begin with the release of approximately half of the living hostages still being held. However, Hamas has so far rejected this proposal, demanding immediate negotiations on the second phase of the initial ceasefire agreement, which would end the war and lead to a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces. Despite this, Hamas stated that it is treating the discussions taking place in Doha with "full responsibility and positivity."

Since the beginning of this month, Israel has blocked all aid, including food and fuel, from entering Gaza, claiming it is aimed at pressuring Hamas. Additionally, power to the only seawater desalination plant in the Gaza Strip providing clean water has been cut off, and it is now operating at reduced capacity relying on generators powered by fuel reserves. Muhannad Hadi, the UN's local humanitarian coordinator, stated, "Any further delays [in aid entering] will further reverse any progress we have managed to make during the pause."

In response, Yemen's Houthi movement said on Tuesday that it would resume attacks on Israeli ships passing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, threatening to plunge this crucial maritime route into chaos once again. There is growing concern about the potential impact of Israel blocking supplies from entering Gaza, with some allies warning that it could violate international law. A baker, Hussam Rustom, told the BBC: "We pray that these problems are solved urgently."

Due to disruptions in the supply of flour and cooking gas, Rustom said that his bakery—which previously provided more than 2,000 packs of bread per day—and several other bakeries in the southern city of Khan Younis have been forced to close. A grandmother named Zeinab al-Bayouk said: "We are exhausted, we are tired of everything. It's driving us crazy." She added that food prices have been rising rapidly. A student named Mariam Abu Muhaimeir opposes extending the existing ceasefire agreement. "There needs to be a solution to end the war," she said. "Enough!"

Although the U.S. has never confirmed it, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on March 2 that Witkoff had proposed temporarily extending the ceasefire past the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover. Under the plan, which Netanyahu said Israel had accepted, half of the hostages would be released simultaneously at the beginning, and the other half at the end. Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Witkoff "even defined his proposal as a passage to the second phase negotiations. Israel is ready for it."

It is believed that Hamas is still holding as many as 24 living hostages and the remains of 35 deceased in Gaza. A 21-year-old American-Israeli soldier named Edan Alexander is reportedly still alive. The bodies of four other American citizens are also being held. Hamas accuses Israel of violating the initial ceasefire agreement. Despite pressure from regional mediators—Qatar and Egypt—and the U.S., it is thought that the armed group is unlikely to give up many of the hostages without a complete end to the fighting in Gaza. It views the hostages as its main bargaining chip in negotiations.

For the relatives and supporters of the captured Israelis, it is a moment of desperation. Since Saturday, some have been camping outside the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, demanding an immediate ceasefire agreement in Gaza to release all those captured. Ofri Bibas, the sister of Yarden Bibas, said at a protest on Monday night: "How can I start dealing with our personal tragedy when the national trauma is not over?" The recent exchange with Hamas led to the release of her brother, and the return of the remains of her sister-in-law Shiri and two young nephews Ariel and Kfir, who all perished in Gaza.

Ofri continued: "I have 59 brothers and sisters in hell,"—referring to the total number of remaining hostages. "We received Yarden alive, but Shiri and the children could have been saved. Everyone must be home by Passover, and the only way to bring everyone back is to end the war. Now." A poll by Israel's Channel 13 TV found that half of Israelis believe the U.S. president is more concerned about the fate of the hostages than Netanyahu. When asked who they thought cared more between the two, 50% of respondents said Trump, 29% said Netanyahu, and the rest were unsure.

The prime minister's far-right allies have threatened to collapse his ruling coalition if the fighting in Gaza does not resume to achieve its war aim of destroying Hamas. So far, both Israel and Hamas have largely avoided resuming full-scale hostilities in the Palestinian territory. Recently, however, Israel has been carrying out attacks daily. On Tuesday, four men were killed in the Gaza Valley, also known as the Netzarim Corridor—an area from which Israeli forces withdrew as part of the Gaza ceasefire terms.

The Israeli military said its air force struck "several terrorists engaged in suspicious activity who posed a threat to [Israeli] forces." Arafat Hana, the father of one of the victims in Gaza City, Omar, told the BBC that his son had done nothing wrong. He said that he and his neighbors were walking to a displaced persons camp, where they had previously lived, to retrieve belongings. "They were innocent. They were just going to get mattresses and other things. They weren't carrying rockets!" said Umm Tareq Obeid, who lives near the men.

The Houthis' new threat has the potential to end a period of relative calm in the wider region that began with the Gaza ceasefire on January 19. Over a 15-month period starting in November 2023, they attacked more than 100 merchant ships with missiles and drones, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Many of the ships had no connection to Israel. Two ships sank, one was seized, and four sailors were killed. The Houthis say they now want "to exert pressure on the Israeli usurping entity to reopen the passages to the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of aid, including food and medical supplies." However, there were no immediate indications of any ships being attacked.

The Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people in southern Israel, mostly civilians, and 251 people were taken hostage. Most of the captured women and children were released during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023. The unprecedented deadly attack sparked the war in Gaza, which, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, has so far killed more than 48,500 people, mostly civilians, figures which are used by the UN and other agencies.