Cairo hosts new round of Gaza ceasefire talks as Israel, US push to extend initial expiring phase

BY

Amr Mohamed Kandil

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Fri, 28 Feb 2025 - 01:31 GMT

BY

Amr Mohamed Kandil

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 - 01:31 GMT

People in Gaza celebrate as the ceasefire in Gaza takes effect on Sunday, 19 January

People in Gaza celebrate as the ceasefire in Gaza takes effect on Sunday, 19 January

CAIRO – 28 February 2025: Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS) announced on Thursday that delegations from Israel and Qatar have commenced negotiations regarding the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza during a meeting in Cairo.

This round of talks, which includes representatives from the United States, comes amidst Israeli-American efforts to extend the first phase of the agreement, set to expire on Saturday.

Under the current phase, Hamas has released 30 living captives taken from Israel, including Israeli civilians and soldiers, and Thai nationals.

Additionally, Hamas has returned the bodies of eight Israeli captives it asserts were killed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza.

Dozens of captives remain held by Hamas, with about half believed to still be alive.

In exchange, Israel has released some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including many detained during the war in Gaza that erupted in October 2023, along with others who were serving life sentences.

The SIS stated that the delegations involved in the ongoing Cairo talks have "initiated intensive discussions to explore the subsequent stages of the ceasefire agreement, with ongoing efforts to ensure the implementation of the agreed-upon understandings."

Furthermore, mediators will examine ways to enhance the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave, the SIS added.

Israeli negotiators reportedly aim to extend the initial ceasefire phase to secure the release of more captives while delaying any final agreement regarding the future of Gaza.

Two Israeli officials indicated that Tel Aviv seeks to prolong this preliminary phase by having Hamas release three captives each week in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated that their delegation will assess whether there is common ground for negotiating an extension of the truce.

“We said we are ready to extend the framework [of phase one] in return for the release of more hostages,” Sa’ar said at a press conference.

Steve Witkoff, the US President’s special envoy to the Middle East, suggested extending the initial phase by continuing the captive-prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas.

US President Donald Trump remarked at a White House press conference on Thursday that there were “pretty good talks going on” regarding the Gaza ceasefire.

The first phase of the ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, took effect on January 19, halting one of the bloodiest wars of the century, during which Israeli forces killed more than 48,000 Palestinians.

The war was triggered by an attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, when Al Qassam fighters stormed Israeli cities near Gaza and captured 251 Israelis and other foreign nationals.

According to an AP tally, the total number of captives returned to Israel in exchanges or other deals stands at 147, including the eight bodies returned over the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, around 27 of the 59 captives still held by Hamas are presumed to be alive.

On Friday, Hamas called on mediators, guarantors, and the international community to pressure Israel to immediately enter into the second phase of the ceasefire deal without delay.

Hamas has stated it is prepared to release all remaining captives in one go in exchange for a permanent end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave.

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