Israeli delegation heads to Qatar for talks on Gaza cease-fire, prisoner exchange deal

Negotiations are complex, expected to be with Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, says Israeli media

JERUSALEM (AA) - An Israeli delegation is set to depart on Monday for the Qatari capital Doha to respond to Hamas's proposal regarding a prisoner exchange deal and cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media.

The Israeli delegation is departing for Doha to conduct negotiations, four days after Hamas submitted its response to the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, Israeli Channel 12 said.

Following the Israeli Cabinet's deliberation on Hamas's cease-fire proposal, Tel Aviv on Friday announced to send a delegation to Doha to speak with officials, with the kingdom acting as a mediator.

Quoting an unnamed Israeli official, it mentioned that the negotiations will need a significant amount of time and will be a long and complex process.

"The negotiations are expected to be with Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar," the channel cited the Israeli officials, indicating he is the decision-maker.

Hamas presented on March 15 mediators from Qatar and Egypt with a three-phase plan for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage swap deal, a well-placed Palestinian source told Anadolu on Friday.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on Gaza since a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed nearly 1,200 people.

More than 31,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in the enclave, and nearly 73,800 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60%of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

* Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul.

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