Dhaka, July 16 -- Gaza ceasefire talks remain in their "first phase" after more than a week of talks, even as mediators step up efforts to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas, Qatar said on Tuesday."Discussions on the framework agreement are still ongoing.

Both delegations are present here in Doha, and the mediators are intensifying efforts to reach an agreement," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari told reporters.

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