Israeli cabinet to discuss ceasefire’s next phase

JERUSALEM: Israel’s cabinet will convene on Tuesday to discuss the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Monday.

The Israeli delegation for the talks in Qatar over the Gaza ceasefire returned to Israel on Monday morning, according to the statement.

The delegation traveled to Doha on Sunday for indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas concerning the second phase of the fragile ceasefire, following Netanyahu’s visit to Washington last week.

However, according to Netanyahu’s office, the delegation focused only on technical matters, not major issues that have yet to be agreed upon, including the administration of Gaza after the war.

Under the ceasefire, which took effect on Jan. 19 after 15 months of devastating war, 21 hostages — 16 Israelis and five Thais — were released from Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees freed from Israeli jails. More than 70 hostages are still in Gaza.

Under the first phase of the agreement, which spans six weeks, a total of 33 hostages and about 2,000 detainees are expected to be released.

-Xinhua