Islamic Jihad delegation arrives in Doha to discuss developments in Gaza

By Mohamed Majed and Rania Abu Shamala

GAZA CITY, Palestine/ISTANBUL (AA) - The Palestinian Islamic Jihad announced Wednesday that a high-level delegation from the movement has arrived in the Qatari capital Doha to hold discussions on developments in the Gaza Strip.

The brief statement did not provide further details on the nature of the discussions or the officials involved in the meetings.

Earlier, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Palestine held talks with US President Donald Trump's special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in Doha, discussing the situation in Gaza and an Arab plan for the enclave’s reconstruction which was approved at an extraordinary Arab Summit in Cairo on March 4.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, citing unnamed Israeli sources, reported that negotiations in Doha are ongoing in a "positive atmosphere" and that there is a "sense of optimism about reaching an agreement" following the arrival of Witkoff.

The sources added that negotiations continued Wednesday and that despite gaps in positions between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, there was “no real crisis” in the talks.

According to the report, Hamas has requested a specific date to begin discussions on ending the war in Gaza. However, the Israeli delegation reportedly lacks the authority to address this issue.

Later, Israel's Channel 14 reported that the Israeli delegation extended its stay in Qatar, indicating progress in talks with Hamas.

In a separate report, the broadcaster said that if no agreement is reached between Israel and Hamas in Doha, Washington will focus on securing the release of American hostages only.

More than 48,500 people have been killed, mostly women and children, in a brutal Israeli war on Gaza since October 2023. The onslaught was paused under a ceasefire and prisoner swap deal which took hold in January.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.