Netanyahu Leaves US with Gaza Ceasefire Holding, Hopes for Second Phase Talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to meet with President Donald Trump since his inauguration, departed the United States with the Gaza ceasefire still intact. Negotiations for a second phase, expected to address the release of remaining hostages and a more permanent peace plan, are slated to begin this week.
“The decisions we made in the war have already changed the face of the Middle East,” Netanyahu declared at the airport before his departure. “Our decisions and the courage of our soldiers have redrawn the map. But I believe that working closely with President Trump, we can redraw it even further and for the better.”
This visit marks a shift in Netanyahu’s relationship with the US administration. He faced strained ties with former President Joe Biden and had not visited the White House since his return to office in late 2022. Netanyahu is currently under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Netanyahu is scheduled to commence talks on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire in Washington tomorrow, according to his office. This follows the completion of the fourth hostage-prisoner exchange as part of the current truce.
Yesterday, Netanyahu spoke with US President’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, agreeing that negotiations would commence upon their meeting in Washington. However, a concrete date for formal talks involving mediators and delegations from Hamas and Israel remains unconfirmed. The 42-day first phase of the ceasefire is set to expire next month.
Netanyahu’s office stated that Mr. Witkoff would engage with Qatar and Egypt, key mediators in the conflict, before discussing with the Israeli premier “steps to advance the negotiations, including dates for delegations to leave for talks.”
Hostages and Prisoners Released
Under the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas freed three Israeli hostages yesterday in exchange for over 180 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel.
Hostages Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas were paraded on stage by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis. US-Israeli Keith Siegel was freed in a similar ceremony at Gaza City’s port in the north.
The Israeli military later confirmed that all three hostages were back in Israel.
Israeli campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum hailed their release as “a ray of light in the darkness.”
Later that day, a bus carrying the released Palestinian prisoners was greeted by a cheering crowd in the West Bank city of Ramallah, while three other buses were welcomed by hundreds of well-wishers in Khan Yunis.
As the conflict enters a delicate second phase, the international community watches closely. Will the negotiations succeed in securing a lasting peace, or will the tensions reignite?