Netanyahu in Washington: crucial meetings for the future of the Middle East

Israeli prime minister to meet Witkoff and Trump: talks on second phase of hostage release agreement and truce

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with US Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, in Washington on Monday to begin talks on the second phase of the hostage release agreement with Hamas. The meeting will take place in the context of a broader diplomatic visit, during which Netanyahu will also meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.

Netanyahu’s Diplomatic Agenda

In addition to the meeting with Netanyahu, Witkoff will also speak with the Prime Minister of Qatar and Egyptian officials. Afterwards, he and Netanyahu will discuss sending delegations to begin further talks on moving to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. According to the terms of the agreement, negotiations for the second phase must begin by the 16th day of the first phase, which is next Monday.

Delays and Concerns

Despite this, the news site Walla reported that Netanyahu will not send a team of negotiators to Qatar before meeting with Trump. Netanyahu cancelled at the last minute a scheduled meeting with Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, and other key negotiators. Netanyahu’s decision to delay the negotiations until his meeting with Trump was called a ‘very worrying signal’ by an anonymous Israeli source, who fears it could have a negative impact on the completion of the first phase of the agreement.

The Second Phase of the Agreement

The second phase of the agreement envisages the return of all remaining hostages, including men under the age of 50 and male soldiers, held in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for a yet-to-be-determined number of Palestinian security prisoners and the complete Israeli withdrawal from the Strip. However, there are indications that Netanyahu is considering resuming the war after the first phase of the agreement, as demanded by the far-right members of his ruling coalition.

Recent Releases and International Reactions

So far, 13 Israeli hostages have been released as part of the agreement, which provides for the release of 33 ‘humanitarian hostages’ during the first 42-day phase with the cessation of fighting in the Strip. The latest hostage release took place on Saturday, with Yarden Bibas, Keith Siegel and Ofer Calderon handed over to Israel after 484 days in captivity. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt welcomed the release of the three men, emphasising the Trump administration’s commitment to free all remaining hostages.

Future Perspectives and Normalisation with Saudi Arabia

Netanyahu is also expected to use his visit to Washington to push the Trump administration to make progress in normalisation talks with Saudi Arabia. Israel is trying to create a negotiating team to discuss official relations with the Gulf state, with the aim of extending the Abrahamic Accords to include Saudi Arabia. However, normalisation has been hampered by the war in Gaza and Saudi demands on Israel to establish a diplomatic horizon for a future Palestinian state.

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