WORLD NEWS – Hamas completes phase one, with no progress on talks for the second phase of the ceasefire

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

The most recent round of cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas has reportedly made “no progress.” It is unclear when the ceasefire talks will resume. They were initially set to begin again on Saturday, but it is now unclear whether or not these ceasefire talks will begin again at this time. The first phase of the ceasefire will expire on Saturday, but under the terms of the deal, fighting should not resume with negotiations underway on phase two.

The second phase of ceasefire negotiations could potentially end the war in Gaza, have Israeli troops withdrawn, and have the remaining living hostages returned home. According to Israel 32 of the 59 hostages that are still in Gaza are dead. The first phase of the ceasefire paused 15 months of fighting in Gaza, saw the release of 33 hostages including eight bodies returned, and the exchange of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Hundreds of thousands of people returned home to northern Gaza, aid into the territory increased and Israeli forces withdrew to buffer zones. Officials from Israel, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have been involved in the negotiations for the second phase. The second phase of negotiations is set to take place in Cairo. While Hamas did not attend, its position was represented by the Egyptian and Qatari mediators.