US envoy Steve Witkoff plans to send a delegation to Doha or Cairo in the coming days to discuss the next steps of the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal. The talks are based on principles agreed with Israel and Qatari-Egyptian mediators.
Witkoff postponed his trip to the Middle East, initially planned for this weekend, due to US diplomatic efforts on Russia-Ukraine. He said if talks go well, he might visit the region Sunday.
The first phase of the hostage deal is set to end on Saturday. If negotiations are successful, a ceasefire will continue as long as second-phase talks take place.
Hamas and Israel announced an understanding that ended a crisis sparked by Netanyahu’s delay in releasing Palestinian prisoners. Hamas agreed to return Israeli hostages, while Israel released 600 prisoners and several others.
US officials say Netanyahu is motivated to release more hostages due to his desire to protect the state of Israel and prevent Hamas from being involved in governance after the deal is resolved.
Source: https://www.axios.com/2025/02/23/gaza-hostage-ceasefire-negotiations