Witkoff says Phase 2 of Gaza deal ‘is absolutely going to begin’ – Ynetnews

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff that he will convene the security cabinet on Monday to discuss phase 2 of the cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Sunday evening.

The announcement came shortly after Witkoff said in an interview that the talks on phase 2 have already begun and are expected to continue. The next phase of the cease-fire agreement includes the return of all hostages held by Hamas in exchange to an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of IDF troops from Gaza.

“Phase two is absolutely going to begin,” Witkoff told Fox.”I’ve had very productive and constructive talks on Sunday with Netanyahu, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani and Egypt’s director of intelligence about the sequencing of phase two, setting forth positions on both sides, so we can understand … where we are today, and then continuing talks this week at a location to be determined so that we can figure out how we get to the end of phase two successfully,” Witkoff said.”

“Phase 2 Includes 19 IDF soldiers we believe all of them are alive and some others as well, it includes Edan Alexander who of course we’ve been pressing for because he is an American and Israel citizen as well so it includes all of these people it also includes getting the families back the bodies of family members of their families who have died.”

Witkoff said the next phase of the deal was more intricate and complicated. “Phase 2 contemplates an end of the war but it also contemplates Hamas not being involved in Gaza and being gone from Gaza.”

The PMO also announced that a delegation would leave for Cairo on Monday to discuss the hostage deal’s second phase. “The delegation will receive guidelines for further talks after the Security Cabinet convenes on Monday.”

Last week Netanyahu denied reports that negotiations had begun, even contradicting Likud chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Yuli Edelstein who told the families of hostages that Israel was discussing the next phase of the deal. Netanyahu’s coalition partner Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has warned that such an agreement would result in his party’s resignation from the government.

Earlier Netanyahu met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. After the meeting Netanyahu said he and U.S. President Donald Trump were working in full coordination. “We have a common strategy and we can’t always share details of this strategy with the public,” he said, “including when the gates of hell will be opened, as they surely will if all our hostages are not released, until the last one of them.”