Israel and Hamas have resumed ceasefire talks, at the same time as a fresh Israeli bombing campaign has killed hundreds in preparation for a wider assault on Gaza.
Representatives of Israel and Hamas met in Qatar on Saturday while Israeli forces stepped up their bombing campaign in Gaza.
Palestinian authorities said nearly 150 people had been killed in the third day of intensified bombing. Most of the casualties were in towns on the northern edge of Gaza. Nearly 500 people were also injured.
Israel is preparing a wider mobilization in Gaza dubbed “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” to seize control of more territory.
The talks in Doha are aimed at bringing hostilities to an end and ensuring the exchange of prisoners.
“The Hamas delegation outlined the position of the group and the necessity to end the war, swap prisoners, the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and allowing humanitarian aid and all the needs of the people of Gaza back into the strip,” a Hamas representative said.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the negotiations had begun without Israel agreeing to a ceasefire to lift its blockade of Gaza.
Israel’s military said it was conducting extensive strikes and mobilising troops with the aim of achieving “operational control” in parts of Gaza.
Talks between Israel and Hamas, which began in March, have failed to secure an agreement.
The UN is warning that a famine in Gaza is now looming after a two-month blockade by Israel has prevented aid and supplies from entering the territory.
On Friday, President Trump said, “a lot of people are starving” in Gaza.
It’s been reported that Trump is preparing a plan to relocate as many as a million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya. Palestinian groups have denounced the plan.