Hamas is ready to start negotiations on phase two of the Gaza ceasefire, two militant group's officials told the AFP on Monday.
"Hamas has informed the mediators, during ongoing communications and meetings held with Egyptian mediators last week in Cairo, that we are ready to start the negotiations for the second phase," one of the officials stated on condition of anonymity. Hamas representatives also urged mediators to guarantee that Israel "adheres to the agreement and does not stall." Phase one, which began on January 19, should last 42 days and involves the release of 33 hostages captured by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and 1,900 Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office shared that he will start talks on the second phase with United States President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff today as Netanyahu began his visit to Washington.
