Netanyahu: Negotiations on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire begin on Monday

(Patria) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will begin negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire when he meets in Washington on Monday with US President Donald Trump's envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, Netanyahu's office announced late last night, Reuters reported.

Netanyahu is expected to depart Israel for Washington today, where he will meet with Trump at the White House next week to discuss Gaza and the Israeli hostages held there.

During the meeting with Witkoff, Netanyahu will discuss Israel's positions on the ceasefire, the Prime Minister's Office said. Witkoff will then speak with officials from Egypt and Qatar, who have mediated between Israel and Hamas over the past fifteen months with Washington's support.

Israel and Hamas reached a complex ceasefire agreement last month, to be implemented in three phases, which halted the fighting in Gaza. Hamas has so far released eighteen hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians from Israeli prisons. More than seventy hostages remain in Gaza.