Israel-Gaza war: ceasefire talks in Qatar enter second day as deaths top 40,000
- A Hamas official said Israel’s continuing operations were an obstacle to progress on a truce
Negotiators were to meet in the Qatari capital Doha again on Friday in an effort to hammer out a Gaza ceasefire agreement as Israel continued to slam targets in the Palestinian enclave.
Gaza health officials reported separately on Thursday that the death toll there had surpassed 40,000 people after more than 10 months of fighting.
This round of negotiations opened on Thursday, and the talks would resume on Friday for a second day, Qatari and US officials said.
A US official briefed on the discussions in Doha, who declined to be identified, said that Thursday’s talks were “constructive”.
“This is vital work. The remaining obstacles can be overcome, and we must bring this process to a close,” US national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at the White House.
Israel, meanwhile, pressed its assault on Gaza. Gaza health officials said at least six Palestinians were killed on Thursday night in an Israeli air strike on a house in Jabilia in northern Gaza Strip.