Qatar Prime Minister sees some progress on Gaza truce

Gaza mediator Qatar said Sunday there was some progress in talks in Doha this week aimed at securing a new truce in the Israel-Hamas war.

Speaking at a news conference, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed reported "a bit of progress", in response to questions about reports of a Thursday meeting in Doha between Israel's Mossad spy agency chief David Barnea and the Qatari prime minister.

Qatar, alongside Egypt and the United States, brokered a truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza which came into effect on January 19 but which did not bring a complete end to the war. The initial phase of the truce ended in early March, with the two sides unable to agree on the next steps.

Israel resumed air and ground attacks across the Gaza Strip on March 18 after earlier halting the entry of aid. Sheikh Mohammed met with Barnea in the Qatari capital to discuss a potential hostage deal on Thursday, according to Israeli media. According to the Palestinian group, it rejected an earlier Israeli offer that included a 45-day ceasefire in exchange for the return of 10 living hostages.