Netanyahu’s Office: Next Phase of Ceasefire Talks to Begin on Monday
Netanyahu spoke with the US President’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday 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”.
US President Donald Trump, who has claimed credit for the ceasefire deal, is expected to host Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday.
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.
Axios reported earlier on Friday that the two leaders are expected to meet twice in Washington on Tuesday, once for a work meeting and then for an informal dinner.
As part of the first phase, Hamas on Saturday freed three Israeli captives in exchange for more than 180 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli custody.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad have so far handed over 18 captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many of them women and children.
Hamas sources said a fifth captive-prisoner exchange would take place next Saturday.
The ceasefire’s six-week first phase hinges on the release of a total of 33 captives in exchange for around 1,900 people, mostly Palestinians, held in Israeli jails.
