DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar will stop trying to mediate a Gaza ceasefire deal until Hamas and Israel "demonstrate a sincere willingness to return to the negotiating table", an official briefed on the matter told Reuters on Saturday.

The Qataris informed both the Israelis and Hamas that as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith, they cannot continue to mediate,” a diplomatic source said

Gaza Qatar has asked Hamas's political leadership to leave the country within a month, acting on a request from the US, two sources told The National on Saturday. Senior Hamas political bureau members were informed of Doha's decision to expel them earlier this week,

Israeli ground forces have "started to operate" around a northern Gaza town, expanding an anti-Hamas offensive that will apparently see residents kept out indefinitely.

Israel’s army has already split the Gaza Strip into two zones, and the IDF claims the northern part is now devoid of Palestinian civilians. Opponents decry this as "ethnic cleansing." While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicized the next steps,