Netanyahu to start talks on 2nd part of Gaza truce

Demonstrators increase placards throughout a protest calling for the discharge of hostages held captive in Gaza for the reason that October 7, 2024 assault by Palestinian militants, in entrance of the Israeli Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv on February 1, 2025. Agence France-Presse

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will start talks on a second part to the Gaza ceasefire in Washington on Monday, his workplace stated hours after the completion of the fourth hostage-prisoner change of the truce.

Netanyahu spoke with the US President’s Center East envoy Steve Witkoff on Sunday and agreed that negotiations would “start once 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 part resulting from finish subsequent month.

READ: Tearful reunions as Hamas, Israel full second swap underneath Gaza truce

Netanyahu’s workplace stated Witkoff would discuss to Qatar and Egypt, key mediators, earlier than discussing with the Israeli premier “steps to advance the negotiations, together with dates for delegations to depart for talks”.

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The second part is anticipated to cowl the discharge of the remaining captives and to incorporate discussions on a extra everlasting finish to the warfare, one thing a number of members of Netanyahu’s authorities oppose.

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Hostages, prisoners launched

As a part of the primary part, Hamas on Saturday freed three Israeli hostages in change for greater than 180 Palestinian prisoners launched from Israeli custody.

READ: Israelis, Palestinians rejoice as extra hostages, prisoners freed

Hostages Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas had been paraded on stage by Hamas fighters earlier than being handed over to the Pink Cross within the southern Gaza metropolis of Khan Yunis. US-Israeli Keith Siegel was freed in the same ceremony at Gaza Metropolis’s port within the north.

The Israeli army later confirmed that every one three had been again in Israel.

Israeli marketing campaign group the Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board hailed their launch as “a ray of sunshine within the darkness”.

“I hope that this can be a signal of the rebirth of the folks of Israel, not simply of Ofer, not simply of the hostages,” Kalderon’s uncle Shemi advised AFP, overcome with emotion.

Later within the day, a bus carrying launched Palestinian prisoners was greeted by a cheering crowd within the West Financial institution metropolis of Ramallah, whereas three different buses had been met by lots of of well-wishers in Khan Yunis.

“I want an excessive amount of composure to manage myself, to regular my nerves, to soak up this overwhelming second,” stated one launched prisoner, Ata Abdelghani, as he ready to satisfy his now 10-year-old twin sons for the primary time.

‘Combined feelings’

After holding the hostages for greater than 15 months, militants in Gaza started releasing them on January 19 underneath the phrases of the ceasefire cope with Israel.

Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have to date handed over 18 hostages to the Worldwide Committee of the Pink Cross, the Israelis amongst them in change for lots of of Palestinian prisoners, a lot of them girls and kids.

A complete of 183 prisoners had been freed Saturday, all of them Palestinian apart from one Egyptian.

Hamas sources stated a fifth hostage-prisoner change would happen subsequent Saturday.

The ceasefire’s six-week first part hinges on the discharge of a complete of 33 hostages in change for round 1,900 folks, principally Palestinians, held in Israeli jails.

Throughout their October 7, 2023 assault on Israel which began the Gaza warfare, militants kidnapped Siegel from kibbutz Kfar Aza, and Bibas and Kalderon from kibbutz Nir Oz.

Militants took a complete of 251 folks hostage that day. Of these, 76 stay in Gaza, together with no less than 34 the army says are lifeless.

These seized embody Bibas’s spouse Shiri and their two youngsters, whom Hamas has declared lifeless, though Israeli officers haven’t confirmed that.

Bibas’s sons — Kfir, the youngest hostage, whose second birthday was in January, and his older brother Ariel, whose fifth birthday was in August — have change into symbols of the hostages’ ordeal.

Footage launched by the Israeli army confirmed Bibas being reunited along with his sister and father, who held him in a prolonged embrace.

In an announcement issued by way of the Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board, the Bibas household stated “1 / 4 of our coronary heart has returned to us after 15 lengthy months.

“However the house stays incomplete,” the household stated.

Israel’s hostage coordinator, Gal Hirsch, stated the federal government continued “to demand info” from the ceasefire’s brokers about the remainder of the Bibas household.

Sighs of aid

Tons of had gathered within the Tel Aviv plaza dubbed “Hostage Sq.” to look at reside tv protection of the most recent releases.

Sighs of aid ran via the group because the three had been freed, although the temper was principally sombre.

At Tel Aviv’s Sheba Hospital, Kalderon, a eager mountain biker, beamed and blew kisses as he was met by a contingent of bicycle owner buddies chanting his title.

“It’s superb, superb. A year-and-a-half is culminating on this second,” stated Navit Hermesh. “We missed him a lot, we frightened about him a lot, and we’re so joyful that he’s coming again.”

At Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Medical Centre, deputy director Gil Hearth stated Siegel’s well being was ok after his ordeal for him to have “spent his first few hours right here within the best privateness along with his household”.

Forward of the releases in Khan Yunis and Gaza Metropolis, scores of masked Hamas fighters stood guard in an obvious effort to forestall massive crowds forming.

It was a pointy distinction to the chaotic scenes that accompanied Thursday’s handover, which prompted Israel to briefly delay its launch of Palestinian prisoners in protest.

‘Tough’ scenario

After Saturday’s hostage launch, Gaza’s key Rafah border crossing with Egypt was reopened, with the well being ministry within the Hamas-run territory saying 50 Palestinian sufferers in want of specialist remedy had handed via.

Egyptian state-linked channel Al-Qahera Information confirmed footage of the primary evacuees, who included 30 youngsters with most cancers.

Gaza hospitals director Muhammad Zaqout stated he hoped the numbers would enhance.

“We now have 6,000 instances able to be transferred, and greater than 12,000 instances which are in dire want of remedy,” he stated.

Rafah was a significant entry level for support earlier than the Israeli army seized the Palestinian facet of the crossing in Might.

US President Donald Trump, who has claimed credit score for the ceasefire deal, is anticipated to host Netanyahu on the White Home on Tuesday.