Egypt mediators in Doha for Gaza talks

An Egyptian security delegation was in Doha on Thursday for talks aimed at reviving a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Egyptian state-linked media reported.

The delegation aimed to "secure the release of prisoners and hostages as part of a transitional phase" that is hoped to pave the way to a more permanent end to fighting, according to Al-Qahera News.

They were also due to discuss "the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip in preparation for the transition to the second phase of the permanent ceasefire agreement," reported the channel, which is linked to the Egyptian state intelligence service.

Negotiations between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt along with Qatar and the United States, have been in a stalemate for weeks following the expiry in early March of the first phase of a January 19 ceasefire.

The talks in Doha come a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to seize parts of Gaza if Hamas did not release hostages, while the militant group warned they would return "in coffins" if Israel did not stop bombing the Palestinian territory.

In over a week of resumed Israeli operations in Gaza, 855 people have been killed, according to the territory's health ministry.

Israel's resumption on March 18 of intense bombardment and ground operations across Gaza shattered weeks of relative calm brought by a fragile ceasefire, and militants returned to launching rocket attacks days later.

The United Nations said on Wednesday that the renewed Israeli operations had displaced 142,000 people in just seven days, and warned of dwindling supplies amid Israel's blocking of aid.

Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the war, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 50,208 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry.