by Yasmine El-Sabawi at Middle East Eye
Israeli negotiators on Tuesday are set to resume talks on the Gaza ceasefire in the Qatari capital of Doha, along with the US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.
The first phase of the deal expired on 1 March, and Israel has since resumed sporadic air strikes on Gaza, killing dozens of Palestinians. It is refusing to move on to the second phase of the agreement, which includes a complete withdrawal from the enclave.
But that’s likely not what makes this particular round of discussions all the more pressing.
Hanging over the meetings is the fact that the US now comes to the table having had direct talks with Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organisation in the US since 1997.
Washington – as it has always publicly maintained – does not negotiate with terrorists…
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