Israel negotiates ceasefire in Gaza, US secretly meets Hamas, causing tension
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Israel resumes talks with Hamas – An Israeli delegation will travel to Doha for third-party-mediated talks, after the US secretly negotiated directly with Hamas but failed to reach a conclusion.
Pressure from the US and within Israel – Trump pressured Israel to accept the initial ceasefire agreement, but Netanyahu hesitated to extend it for fear of losing support from the far-right.
Hostage issue – Hamas demands Israel cease fire and withdraw from Gaza in exchange for 59 remaining hostages. Israel believes at least 22 hostages are still alive.
US surprises Hamas with meeting – US holds private talks with Hamas on the return of some hostages, surprising and upsetting Israel.
Severe humanitarian crisis – After Israel re-imposed a blockade on Gaza on March 2, shortages of food, fuel and clean water have become severe, increasing pressure on all parties involved.
Aifxsignals