Hamas engages in ceasefire talks as Israel expands Gaza strikes

Hamas said on Saturday that it is in favor of any Gaza ceasefire proposal that guarantees a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Hamas said such a proposal must also ensure an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people and include a serious prisoner exchange deal.

A Hamas delegation headed to Cairo on Saturday at the invitation of Egypt. While in Cairo, they are expected to meet with mediators from Qatar and Egypt as part of ongoing efforts to reach an agreement and halt Israeli attacks in Gaza, it added.

On the same day, Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released a video of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who has been held in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.

In the video, Alexander shared his struggles and expressed concern about his safety amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza. He also blamed the Israeli government for failing to secure his release.

Following the video's release, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement that he had spoken with Alexander's family and assured them that intensive efforts were ongoing to secure the release of all hostages.

According to Hamas, it had given mediators its agreement to release Alexander and the bodies of four other hostages on March 14.

The first six-week phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas expired on March 1, and negotiations on the second phase remain stalled.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces have resumed air strikes in Gaza since March 18. The renewed Israeli attacks have so far killed 1,563 Palestinians and injured 4,004 others, Gaza's health authorities said on Saturday.

After announcing that it had fully encircled southern Gaza's Rafah city, the Israel Defense Forces released its intention to extend operational control over the corridor and carry out "counterterrorism" operations in the area.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also said that Israel will soon expand its operations to most of the Gaza Strip territory.

Before resuming deadly air and ground assaults on the enclave, Israel has blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza since March 2.

The Hamas-run Gaza media office said on Saturday in a statement that Israel has used water as "a weapon of war" to commit "a crime of slow mass killing" against Gaza residents.

It accused Israel of destroying more than 4,000 houses and facilities containing solar energy systems, which are considered a vital artery for providing alternative electricity and operating medical equipment in hospitals and health centers, water wells, desalination plants, universities, schools, bakeries, factories, basic household facilities, and other vital sectors.

It also called on the international community and UN organizations, especially the Human Rights Council, to assume their legal and moral responsibilities and act immediately to stop the genocidal war and the ongoing aggression against civilians and vital facilities in the Gaza Strip.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East sounded the alarm on the same day over a rapidly escalating humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.

"All basic supplies are running out in Gaza. It means babies, children are going to bed hungry," Juliette Touma, the agency's director of communications, said in a statement.

(With input from agencies)