Israel pulls negotiation team from Gaza truce talks in Doha

Reuters

Israel declared on Saturday that it was withdrawing its negotiating team from the Doha talks in Qatar on extending the ceasefire with Hamas, citing an "impasse."

According to a statement issued by Mossad, Israel's spy agency, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the order to the team, led by Mossad chief David Barnea, to return to Israel. The Mossad team spent about a week in Qatar to take part in talks aimed at achieving a temporary pause in the deadly conflict.

The Mossad's statement attributed the decision to the "impasse in the negotiations." The Mossad accused Hamas of failing to fulfil its obligations under the truce agreement, "which included the release of all children and women according to a list that was forwarded to Hamas and approved by it."

The collapse of a seven-day ceasefire on Friday marked a resurgence of hostilities, with Israel resuming strikes in Gaza, killing at least 193 people, and Hamas launching rockets at Israel without causing any casualties.

Barnea reported that, during the brief ceasefire facilitated by Qatar and coordinated with Egypt and the United States, 84 Israeli children and women, along with 24 Thai and Filipino nationals held by Hamas and other militants in Gaza, were freed.

During the ceasefire, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.