Jerusalem: Israel’s cabinet will convene on Tuesday to discuss the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Monday.
The Israeli delegation for the talks in Qatar over the Gaza ceasefire returned to Israel on Monday morning, according to the statement.
The delegation travelled to Doha on Sunday for indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas concerning the second phase of the fragile ceasefire, following Netanyahu’s visit to Washington last week. However, according to Netanyahu’s office, the delegation focused only on technical matters, not major issues that have yet to be agreed upon, including the administration of Gaza after the war.
Under the ceasefire, which took effect on January 19 after 15 months of devastating war, 21 hostages — 16 Israelis and five Thais — were released from Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees freed from Israeli jails. More than 70 hostages are still in Gaza. Under the first phase of the agreement, which spans six weeks, a total of 33 hostages and about 2,000 detainees are expected to be released, Xinhua news agency reported.
On Sunday, reiterating US President Donald Trump’s firm stance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages taken by Hamas, following the return of three captives.
Taking to X, Rubio posted, “After 490 harrowing days in captivity, Eli, Or, and Ohad are finally home in Israel. President of the United States (POTUS) was clear — Hamas must release all hostages now!”
The statement came after Hamas released three Israeli hostages on Saturday. The freed captives, kidnapped during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, were identified as Ohad Ben Ami, 56, a dual Israeli-German citizen; Eli Sharabi, 52; and Or Levy, 34.
As part of the deal, Israel has released 183 Palestinian prisoners from its jails.
The Hamas-affiliated Prisoners’ Media Office stated that among the freed Palestinian prisoners were 18 serving life sentences, 54 with long-term sentences, and 111 from Gaza who were arrested after the October 7 attack.
(IANS)
