Boma Achenimie 
The office of Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Monday, announced that the Israeli delegation that flew to Doha for peace talks on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire has returned amid growing doubts over the Egyptian and Qatari-brokered process to end the war.
There were no immediate details on the reason for the return from the talks, which are intended to agree on the basis for a second stage of a multi-phase ceasefire agreement and hostage-for-prisoner exchange reached last month.
However, a Palestinian official close to the discussions said progress was being held up by a lack of confidence between the two sides, which have accused each other of breaching the terms of the ceasefire.
It was also gathered that the statements of US President Donald Trump that Palestinians should be moved out of Gaza, leaving the coastal enclave to be developed as a waterfront real estate project under US control, have upended expectations for the postwar future.
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Meanwhile, Netanyahu endorsed Trump’s comments when he returned from a visit to Washington at the weekend, causing irritation in Egypt, where security sources said Israel was putting up roadblocks to the smooth progress of the ceasefire deal, including delays to the withdrawal of its troops and continuing aerial surveillance.
Halfway through the 42-day ceasefire that started on January 19, both sides have already accused the other of violating the agreement, which was to see 33 Israeli hostages exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees and Israeli forces pulled back from positions in Gaza.
Recall that talks on a second stage, to agree on the release of the remaining hostages and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces began last week but have shown little sign of serious progress.
