The deadline for starting negotiations on the continuation of a ceasefire in the gas sector expires today, but the Israeli side has not yet provided clear information about the composition of its negotiation group and possible contact with representatives of the Hamas group.
This creates significant uncertainty in the future development of the situation, reports CNN.
The current cessation of the lasting more than two weeks of fire should end on March 1. According to the agreement, negotiations at the next stage should have begun no later than Monday. However, Israel has not yet identified representatives for negotiations and has not sent a delegation to Qatar or Egypt, where Hamas representatives will arrive this week.
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Intermediary in negotiations, Prime Minister of Qatar Muhammad Bin Abdulrahman Al Tanya, said on Sunday that there are no clear details about when and how negotiations will begin. According to him, Doha hopes for progress in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focused on negotiations in Washington, where he will meet with US President Donald Trump this week. This will be the first official visit of the foreign leader to the White House under the new administration. Before leaving, the office of Netanyahu said that he agreed with the US representative in the Middle East by the beginning of the second stage of negotiations after a meeting with Trump, during which it was planned to discuss the position of Israel.
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According to CNN, from the beginning of the truce on January 19, Hamas and his allies freed 18 hostages contained in gas. In response, Israel freed 583 Palestinian prisoners, among whom there were both convicts for serious crimes and minors contained without official charges.
The stop of fire contributed to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the settlements of Gaza, an increase in the volume of humanitarian aid and the opening of the Rafach checkpoint on the border with Egypt for the evacuation of the wounded and sick Palestinians. This was only the second temporary cessation of military operations 15 months after a short truce in November 2023.
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The current agreement suggested that negotiations on the next stage should begin on the 16th day of the armistice coming on Monday. However, the Netanyahu decision first to meet with Trump violates these agreements.
It is expected that the second stage will provide for the full withdrawal of the Israeli troops from Gaza and the liberation of all living hostages, including soldiers and civilians, in exchange for a larger number of Palestinian prisoners.
At the same time, the political observer Gershon Baskin said that Israel's refusal to start negotiations on a certain day is a violation of the agreement. In his opinion, such a delay undermines confidence in the Israeli position and exposes the hostages of an additional danger.
Recall that the agreements between Lebanon and Israel on the ceasefire, which are observed by the United States, will be valid until February 18.