Fate of Ceasefire-Hostage deal of the balance agreement while Netanyahu heads to DC

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet an American special envoy for the Middle East on Monday, Steve Witkoff in Washington.

Netanyahu’s meeting with Witkoff will take place in the middle of a greater diplomatic visit to Washington, for which he was to leave at 8 am on Sunday. He is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on Tuesday in the White House.

In addition to his meeting with Netanyahu, Witkoff will also speak to the Prime Minister of Qatar and to Egyptian officials this week, after which he and Netanyahu will discuss the sending of delegations to engage in new talks on the passage in the second stage of the ceasefire agreement.

In accordance with the terms of the cease-fire and hostage agreement, negotiations for the second phase of the agreement must start at the latest on the 16th day of the first phase next Monday.

Despite this, the Walla News site reported on Saturday that Netanyahu would not send a team of negotiators in Qatar until after his meeting with Trump.

According to the report, Netanyahu canceled a meeting scheduled for the last minute on Saturday evening with Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet Ronen Bar, the hostage point Nitzan Alon and other main negotiators.

The officials were informed of the cancellation by Netanyahu’s Military Roman Gofman, who told them that the Prime Minister had decided not to send the team to Qatar before his next meeting with Trump. However, delay negotiations until then seemed to violate the terms of the agreement.

Netanyahu’s decision is a “very worrying sign” of the implementation of the second phase, an anonymous Israeli source told the media, expressing his concern that he could also have a negative impact on the realization of the first phase in 42 -day lessons.

The second phase of the agreement should include the return of all remaining living hostages – including men under the age of 50 and male soldiers – held by terrorists in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for a still number Determine Palestinian security prisoners and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the band.

The reports, however, indicated that Netanyahu seriously entered the possibility of resuming war after the first phase of the agreement, as requested by the far -right members of his power coalition, rather than continuing in the second phase.

Earlier Saturday, Channel 13 reported that the Prime Minister had held a meeting on Friday on the possibility of regaining war in Gaza. The report quoted senior Israeli officials who declared that the Prime Minister seems to be pressure for a resumption of the war and asked the FDI to present operational plans.

Until now, 13 Israeli hostages have been released as part of the agreement, which imposes the release of 33 so-called “humanitarian hostages” during its first 42-day phase, with battles stopped in the band. Five Thai hostages were also released outside the agreement.

The most recent release of the hostages on Saturday saw Muren Bibas, Keith Siegel and Ocier Calderon given to Israel after 484 days in captivity of Hamas.

The white house press secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the release of the three men, saying: “Today, the Americans celebrate the return of the American-Israeli citizen Keith Siegel and two Israelis who were detained by the terrorists Hamas since October 7, 2023. ”

“President (Donald) Trump and his administration have diligently worked to guarantee their release and have committed to release all the remaining hostages,” she added.

The subsequent stages of the three -phase agreement are subject to negotiations with the declared objective of reaching a “lasting calm” in the enclave, in parallel with the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, to the release of prisoners of Palestinian safety and an Israeli withdrawal from the band.

The hostages are part of 251 Israelis and foreigners kidnapped on October 7, 2023, when some 3,000 terrorists led by Hamas burst into Israel, killing some 1,200 people, in the midst of creeping acts of brutality and manifest targeting of civilians.

Sixty-six of the 251 hostages removed by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 dead confirmed by the FDI.

Dermer in, Barnea svert

In addition to the reports according to which Netanyahu had canceled a meeting with the best Israeli negotiators, Channel 12 reported on Saturday evening that the Prime Minister was planning to appoint the Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, the head of the Israeli negotiation team for interviews remaining hostages with Hamas. He would take charge of the role of the chief of Mossad Barnea.

According to the report, Barnea remains in the team alongside Bar and Alon, while Dermer would supervise the talks.

Israeli officials have declared to the point of sale that Netanyahu recognizes that the negotiators wanted to do everything possible to ensure that the second stage of the agreement with Hamas takes place, and the Prime Minister wants to keep his options open.

According to Channel 12, Netanyahu team officials say that, as the main discussions take place with the Trump administration, they should be led by someone with a diplomatic point of view, not security.

The report said Witkoff expressed that he would prefer to work with Dermer and reserves to work with the current negotiation team.

The PMO said that Channel 12 and other media reports were “not true” and have reiterated that “the decisions on negotiations will only be made after the return of the Prime Minister of the United States”.

“ Golden age of peace in the Middle East ”

According to Kan public broadcaster, Netanyahu should also use his visit to Washington as an opportunity to push the Trump administration for progress in standardization talks with Saudi Arabia.

Israel is Pushing for the Establishment of A Negotiating Team to Hold Talks on Official Relations With the Gulf State, the Report Said, Adding that the Trump Administration Want to Achieve Peace Between Jerusalem and Riyadh as Part of the President’s Vision of Peace in the Middle East. »»

This decision would extend the Abraham agreements, through which Israel has established relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. Saudi Arabia has not joined the 2020 agreements and has never recognized Israel.

Standardization was almost put aside due to the war in Gaza as well as the requests of Saudi Arabia that Israel established a diplomatic horizon for a future Palestinian state.

However, Trump said before his return to the White House last month that he hoped to use the momentum of the Gaza ceasefire agreement to extend the Abraham agreements to include Saudi Arabia.