Demonstrators elevate placards throughout a protest calling for the discharge of hostages held captive in Gaza because the 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 section to the Gaza ceasefire in Washington on Monday, his workplace stated hours after the completion of the fourth hostage-prisoner trade 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 section resulting from finish subsequent month.
READ: Tearful reunions as Hamas, Israel full second swap below 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”.
Article continues after this commercial
The second section is anticipated to cowl the discharge of the remaining captives and to incorporate discussions on a extra everlasting finish to the conflict, one thing a number of members of Netanyahu’s authorities oppose.
Article continues after this commercial
Hostages, prisoners launched
As a part of the primary section, Hamas on Saturday freed three Israeli hostages in trade 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 have been paraded on stage by Hamas fighters earlier than being handed over to the Crimson Cross within the southern Gaza metropolis of Khan Yunis. US-Israeli Keith Siegel was freed in an analogous ceremony at Gaza Metropolis’s port within the north.
The Israeli army later confirmed that each one three have 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 it is a signal of the rebirth of the folks of Israel, not simply of Ofer, not simply of the hostages,” Kalderon’s uncle Shemi informed 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 have been met by a whole bunch of well-wishers in Khan Yunis.
“I would like quite a lot of composure to regulate myself, to regular my nerves, to soak up this overwhelming second,” stated one launched prisoner, Ata Abdelghani, as he ready to fulfill 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 below the phrases of the ceasefire take care of Israel.
Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have up to now handed over 18 hostages to the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross, the Israelis amongst them in trade for a whole bunch of Palestinian prisoners, lots of them girls and youngsters.
A complete of 183 prisoners have been freed Saturday, all of them Palestinian aside from one Egyptian.
Hamas sources stated a fifth hostage-prisoner trade would happen subsequent Saturday.
The ceasefire’s six-week first section hinges on the discharge of a complete of 33 hostages in trade for round 1,900 folks, principally Palestinians, held in Israeli jails.
Throughout their October 7, 2023 assault on Israel which began the Gaza conflict, 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 at the least 34 the army says are useless.
These seized embody Bibas’s spouse Shiri and their two kids, whom Hamas has declared useless, 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 turn out to be symbols of the hostages’ ordeal.
Footage launched by the Israeli army confirmed Bibas being reunited together 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 data” from the ceasefire’s brokers about the remainder of the Bibas household.
Sighs of reduction
A whole lot had gathered within the Tel Aviv plaza dubbed “Hostage Sq.” to look at dwell tv protection of the most recent releases.
Sighs of reduction ran by means of the group because the three have 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 bike owner pals chanting his title.
“It’s wonderful, wonderful. 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 blissful that he’s coming again.”
At Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Medical Centre, deputy director Gil Hearth stated Siegel’s well being was adequate after his ordeal for him to have “spent his first few hours right here within the best privateness together 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 stop 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.
‘Troublesome’ 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 therapy had handed by means of.
Egyptian state-linked channel Al-Qahera Information confirmed footage of the primary evacuees, who included 30 kids with most cancers.
Gaza hospitals director Muhammad Zaqout stated he hoped the numbers would improve.
“We now have 6,000 circumstances able to be transferred, and greater than 12,000 circumstances which are in dire want of therapy,” he stated.
Rafah was a significant entry level for help earlier than the Israeli army seized the Palestinian aspect of the crossing in Might.
Your subscription couldn’t be saved. Please strive once more.
Your subscription has been profitable.
US President Donald Trump, who has claimed credit score for the ceasefire deal, is anticipated to host Netanyahu on the White Home on Tuesday.