Negotiators seeking a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal will meet for a second day in Qatar.
Hamas representatives will not be in attendance and said the group would “not engage in negotiations for the sake of negotiations in order to provide cover for Israel to continue its war”.
The talks are still expected to take place even without Hamas, as US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators say they could use them to put together a plan that resolves the remaining issues.
They suffered several setbacks last month and have been suspended since Hamas’s political leader and chief negotiator, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran.
The US hopes that finalising a deal could deter Iran from retaliating for the assassination against Israel – which has neither confirmed nor denied involvement – and avert a regional conflict.
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