Jerusalem – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will begin talks on a second phase to the Gaza ceasefire in Washington on Monday (Tuesday in Manila), his office said hours after the completion of the fourth hostage-prisoner exchange of the truce.
Netanyahu spoke with the US President’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Sunday and agreed that negotiations would “begin when they meet in Washington”.
A date for formal talks involving mediators and delegations from Hamas and Israel has not been set, with the 42-day first phase due to end next month.
Netanyahu’s office said Witkoff would talk to Qatar and Egypt, key mediators, before discussing with the Israeli premier “steps to advance the negotiations, including dates for delegations to leave for talks”.
The second phase is expected to cover the release of the remaining captives and to include discussions on a more permanent end to the war, something several members of Netanyahu’s government oppose.
As part of the first phase, Hamas on Saturday freed three Israeli hostages in exchange for more than 180 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli custody.