Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha, Israel continues blocking aid
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I'm David Enders, and this is The Take. We're coming to you on Sundays with weekly roundups as Israel's war in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria continues. Negotiations are expected in Doha over the next phase of the ceasefire in Gaza. Israel continues to block aid. Israeli raids continued in the occupied West Bank.

Today is Sunday, March 9. It is day 520 of the war in Gaza, where more than 48,453 Palestinians have been killed. Israeli negotiators are expected in the Qatari capital of Doha on Monday, with the hopes that an agreement can be reached on how to implement the second phase of a ceasefire with Hamas. Here's Al Jazeera's Hamda Salhout.

The Israeli prime minister's office has released a statement confirming that Israel will dispatch a negotiating team to Doha in order to meet with mediators to see what's going to come next as part of the ceasefire deal. Israel says they want to extend phase one of the deal in order to bring about the release of as many captives as possible, but without committing to phase two. Hamas has said previously that this is a red line for

for them that they entered into this deal that's in multiple phases in order to reach an end of the war. But Israel has gone so far as to cut off all humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip for around a week now in order to put that pressure on Hamas to cave to Israel's demands. But nonetheless, there's still so much pressure on the Israeli prime minister from family members of Israeli captives who are accusing the premier of prolonging the war for his own personal and political gain. They say that

Phase two of this deal is the only way to ensure the release of the remaining captives in Gaza. Israel is continuing to block aid to Gaza. Al Jazeera's Tarek Abu Azoum reported on Sunday from the southern Gaza city of Han Yunis.

We can absolutely see different signs of a crisis that had started to loom recently in the territory, including that six central bakeries in the city of Hadoudis have suspended their services to thousands of families due to the lack of fuel and essential gas required for the production process of bread and all essential needs for those populations. It's worth noting and reminding ourselves and our viewers that

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has used this step as a clear tactic to pressure Hamas. Our civilians have been bearing the brunt of this political step that has been taken by the Israeli side just only to gain more political leverage. U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy is expected to travel to the Middle East this week. Al Jazeera's Rosalind Jordan reported from Washington on Saturday on what is expected from his trip.

The U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Stephen Witkoff, is going to be in the Middle East in the coming days. And that's because the U.S. is very keen to see the movement from Phase 1 of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas

to phase two. The U.S. is very keen to, in part, get the remaining captives out of Hamas's control, as well as to secure the release of the remains of those captives who have died during the more than 500 days that the war has been going on in Gaza.

Wyckoff is also expected to not only be engaged as the Israelis and Hamas start more negotiations in Doha on Monday, but he may also be taking part in ongoing side conversations in Saudi Arabia about trying to end the war in not the Middle East, but in Ukraine.

It all comes as the U.S. reveals that it has made direct contact with Hamas about the status of the remaining captives being held inside Gaza. That is an indication that the U.S. is willing to ignore

Israeli forces this weekend continued their assault in the occupied West Bank, including setting fire to a mosque in Nablus. Al Jazeera's Mohammad Haji filed this report on efforts to rebuild.

The call to prayer still rings defiantly through Nablus' Al-Nasr Mosque, despite Israeli forces storming and partially destroying the mosque on the first Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The mosque is a landmark in Nablus' old city, originally a Roman-era church, but converted to a mosque more than 800 years ago.

Nablus is in the northern occupied West Bank, which has been the target of an increasing number of Israeli assaults. Homes have been demolished, roads destroyed and tens of thousands of Palestinians forced to flee.

And that's The Take for Sunday, March 9. Please join us again tomorrow. This episode was produced and mixed by me, David Enders. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Alexandra Locke is The Take's executive producer. And Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.