Hamas and Israel hold talks on second phase of deal

Israel and Hamas have begun talks on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanua said.

"Contacts and talks on the second phase [of the deal] have begun," Abdel Latif al-Qanua said.

According to al-Quanua, Hamas’s top concerns are to provide the population with housing and humanitarian assistance, and restoring the enclave.

The Israeli prime minister’s office said earlier that Israel plans to send a working-level delegation to Qatar this week and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene a meeting of the country’s war cabinet to discuss Israel’s position on the second phase of the deal as soon as he returns from the U.S.