Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed a close ally, Ron Dermer, to lead talks over phase two of the Gaza ceasefire, replacing Israel’s previous chief negotiator David Barnea. The move comes as tensions rise and Hamas is releasing four hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Dermer, the Secretary of Strategic Affairs, will be joined by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in negotiations with Hamas. However, Netanyahu’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has promised to withdraw from the government coalition if Israel does not return to war in Gaza when the current ceasefire expires on March 1.
The reshuffle sidelines Israel’s security establishment, which has clashed frequently with Netanyahu. Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet, will not be part of the new negotiating team due to allegations of inappropriately lobbying for Qatari state interests.
Hamas negotiators have accelerated their delivery of hostages, aiming to complete the return of all 14 remaining hostages by next week. The group had previously threatened to derail talks over the release of hostages, but has now recommitted.
Netanyahu’s office has denied allegations that allowing prefabricated housing and heavy machinery into Gaza would compromise the Trump plan for voluntary immigration and creating another Gaza. However, this plan has been widely criticized as ethnic cleansing by Palestinian and Arab leaders.
The new negotiations come amid uncertainty over Israel’s commitment to seeing them succeed. With the ceasefire set to expire on March 1, tensions are rising in the region.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/18/middleeast/israel-ceasefire-negotiation-analysis-intl-latam/index.html