Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will begin discussions on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire in Washington on Monday, following the completion of the fourth hostage-prisoner exchange under the ongoing truce, his office announced. Netanyahu spoke with the US President’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, on Sunday, confirming that negotiations would begin when the two meet in Washington.
While a formal date for talks involving mediators, as well as delegations from Hamas and Israel, has not been set, the first phase of the ceasefire is scheduled to conclude next month. Netanyahu's office said that Witkoff would engage with Qatar and Egypt, key mediators, before finalizing steps to advance the negotiations, including setting a date for the delegations to leave for talks.
The second phase is expected to focus on the release of remaining hostages and prisoners, as well as discussions about a more permanent end to the conflict. However, some members of Netanyahu’s government are opposed to negotiations that might involve a long-term cessation of hostilities.
As part of the ongoing ceasefire’s first phase, Hamas recently released three Israeli hostages in exchange for more than 180 Palestinian prisoners. The hostages—Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas, who were released in a ceremony in southern Gaza, and US-Israeli Keith Siegel, who was freed in Gaza City—were handed over to the Red Cross. The Israeli military confirmed that all three had returned to Israel.
The release of hostages was celebrated by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which hailed it as “a ray of light in the darkness.” Kalderon’s uncle expressed his emotions, saying, “I hope that this is a sign of the rebirth of the people of Israel, not just of Ofer, not just of the hostages.”
Meanwhile, a bus carrying released Palestinian prisoners was met with a jubilant crowd in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Another group of prisoners was welcomed in Khan Yunis in Gaza. Released prisoner Ata Abdelghani, who had been held for years, expressed his emotional relief at meeting his now 10-year-old twin sons for the first time.
Hamas, along with its ally Islamic Jihad, has released 18 hostages as part of the ceasefire deal, with more exchanges expected. The total number of hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which initiated the Gaza war, was 251. Of those, 76 remain in Gaza, and at least 34 are believed to be dead. The ceasefire agreement, which spans six weeks, aims to facilitate the release of 33 hostages in exchange for about 1,900 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons.
