Second phase negotiations to begin on Monday, as Netanyahu arrives in Washington

The second phase of negotiations for the next stage of the hostage deal will begin on Monday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to arrive in Washington, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced on Saturday.

Netanyahu will be the first national leader that US President Trump will meet with following his inauguration, and, according to the PMO, the two are set to discuss Gaza and the hostages, dealing with all components of the Iranian axis and other main issues.

A Hamas source shared similar news with Arabic news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Saturday, reporting that the group had been informed by mediators that the second phase of negotiations would commence in Doha on Monday.

The source added that mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States would be present.

Hamas reportedly told mediators it was ready to engage in the second phase, the source continued.

The 33 hostages set to be released in the first stage of the hostage deal. (credit: via walla!)

Later in the evening, Netanyahu spoke with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, the PMO said.

Witkoff subsequently spoke with Qatar’s prime minister and Egyptian representatives.

Hamas Spokesman Jihad Taha told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Israel was creating obstacles in the negotiations in the form of “evasion, procrastination, and obstruction of the implementation of what was agreed upon.”

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed also reported that it had exclusively been told that Egyptian and Qatari mediators conveyed an angry message to the Israeli government regarding “its approach to dealing with the ceasefire agreement and its deliberate obstruction of it.

First phase of the deal

The first phase of the deal, which was signed by both parties in Doha on January 17, laid out the details of the release of 33 Hamas hostages and several thousand Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons.

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Thirteen hostages have been released so far. These are Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Romi Gonen, Daniella Gilboa, Emily Damari, Arbel Yehoud, Naama Levy, Gadi Moshe Mozes, Keith Siegal, Ofer Kalderon, Doron Steinbrecher and Yarden Bibas,.

Set to be released are Itzhak Elgarat, Ohad Ben Ami, Ariel Bibas, Yarden Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Shiri Bibas, Sagi Dekel Chen, Iair Horn, Omer Wenkert, Alexandre Sasha Troufanov, Ohad Yahalomi, Eliya Cohen, Or Levy, Oded Lifshitz, Avraham (Avera) Mengisto, Shlomo Mantzur, Tsachi Idan, Ofer Kalderon, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Hisham Al-Sayed and Eli Sharabi. The list disclosing the life status of the hostages still held captive has not yet been released.