US envoy Steve Witkoff announces that an Israeli delegation is negotiating the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, amid a breakthrough in the Palestinian prisoner release crisis.
Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, announced on Tuesday that an Israeli delegation has departed to participate in negotiations for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
This comes as sources told Al-Jazeera that mediators have brokered a resolution to the crisis stemming from Israel’s failure to release Palestinian prisoners in the last batch.
Shortly before Witkoff’s statement, Hamas and Israel reached an agreement ensuring the release of all Palestinian prisoners who were supposed to be freed last Saturday, in exchange for Hamas handing over the bodies of four Israeli prisoners on Thursday.
Speaking at an event organized by the American Jewish Committee in Washington, Witkoff emphasized that the US is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to intervene if necessary.
“We are making great progress. Israel is sending a team as we speak,” he stated, adding that the delegation will either travel to Doha or Cairo for talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.
Witkoff noted that these discussions aim to advance the second phase of the agreement and secure the release of more detainees. He indicated that he “may” join the negotiations on Sunday, depending on developments.
Breakthrough in Prisoner Release
Informed sources confirmed to Al-Jazeera that an agreement has been reached to resolve the deadlock over Israel’s delayed release of Palestinian prisoners.
Under the deal, Israel will release those detainees in coordination with Hamas’ transfer of the Israeli prisoners’ bodies, all to occur in a single exchange on Thursday.
A Hamas statement on Tuesday night outlined that its delegation had concluded talks in Cairo with Egyptian officials regarding the ceasefire’s implementation, the prisoner exchange, and the upcoming phase of negotiations. The group stressed its insistence on full adherence to all provisions of the agreement.
Meanwhile, the Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, a Palestinian armed group, announced that it will hand over the body of Israeli captive Ohad Yahalomi on Thursday as part of the first-phase agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced internal criticism for delaying the release of approximately 620 Palestinian prisoners, despite Hamas fulfilling its commitments under the agreement.
With the scheduled handover of the four Israeli prisoners’ bodies on Thursday, the first phase of the ceasefire deal will formally conclude.
‘Completely Unnecessary’ Crisis
The US-based news website Axios quoted a senior Israeli official who described the crisis caused by Netanyahu’s decision to postpone the Palestinian prisoner release as “completely unnecessary.”
Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for detainee affairs, told Israeli Channel 13 that halting the prisoner releases poses serious risks and potential consequences.
Meanwhile, former Israeli prisoner Noa Argamani urged the full implementation of the agreement during a speech at the UN Security Council.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority (KAN) reported that the families of detained Israelis are demanding an immediate transition to the second phase of the deal.
The Committee of Families of Israeli Prisoners in Gaza warned that Netanyahu’s obstructionism risks collapsing the agreement entirely, potentially triggering further conflict.
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Ceasefire at a Crossroads
The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, which began on January 19, consists of three 42-day phases, each contingent on negotiations before the current phase concludes.
If no agreement is reached by Friday, officials anticipate either a resumption of hostilities or a fragile status quo, where the ceasefire remains but detainees are not returned and Israel potentially restricts aid to Gaza.
During the first phase, Palestinian groups released 25 living Israeli prisoners and four bodies in seven batches.
In return, Israel freed 1,135 Palestinian detainees, including individuals serving life sentences. Tel Aviv estimates that 62 Israeli detainees remain in Gaza, while thousands of Palestinians remain imprisoned under conditions involving torture, starvation, and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli media reports.
With US backing, between October 7, 2023, and January 19, 2025, Israel’s military actions in Gaza have resulted in over 160,000 Palestinian deaths and injuries—most of them children and women—while more than 14,000 people remain missing.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
