Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed negotiators to depart for Cairo on Monday to discuss the continued implementation of the first stage of the deal, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. The decision was made in coordination with US Presidential Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.
A statement from Netanyahu’s office, shared on X, confirmed, “In coordination with US Presidential Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the negotiations team to leave for Cairo tomorrow in order to discuss the continued implementation of the first stage of the deal.”
The statement further mentioned that following a Security Cabinet discussion scheduled for Monday, the team would receive additional instructions regarding the second stage of negotiations.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu emphasized his “full cooperation and coordination” with US President Donald Trump on the future of Gaza and Hamas. During his weekly cabinet meeting and a joint press statement with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Netanyahu stated, “We have a joint strategy, including when and how the gates of hell will open if all of our hostages, all of them, are not released and do not return home.”
He underscored shared goals between Israel and the US, including the elimination of Hamas, securing Israel from future threats, and implementing a new vision for Gaza. He also took a veiled swipe at the Biden administration, saying, “We faced administrations… much less sympathetic,” and credited himself for fostering strong ties with Trump and his team.
In a related development, three hostages—Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Troufanov, and Iair Horn—were released by Hamas on Saturday after 498 days in captivity. Their release was part of the sixth hostage-prisoner exchange under the ongoing ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.