U.S. Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff on Wednesday visited Gaza, then met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the Gaza ceasefire and a regional diplomatic push.
According to the White House, Witkoff is in the region to oversee the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope to leverage that deal into a broader regional accord that would include Saudi Arabia and Israel formalizing diplomatic ties.
It was gathered that Witkoff visited Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
It was also gathered that the U.S. envoy met with Netanyahu alone for more than two hours before they were joined by other ministers.
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Netanyahu is said to have long eyed ties with Riyadh and is due to meet Trump in Washington on February 4, when talks for the next phase of the three-stage Gaza ceasefire are meant to start formally.
An Israeli government spokesman and the White House official declined to provide any details on Witkoff’s visit to Gaza, which Israel’s public broadcaster Kan said included an inspection of the Netzarim corridor.
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have crossed over the route which cuts through Gaza east to west, as they returned to their homes in the northern part of the enclave.
Recall that Israel began pulling out of the corridor on Monday and has allowed civilians to return to homes in the north as part of the first six-week phase of the ceasefire, which will also see 33 hostages freed in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Seven hostages have already been released since the ceasefire took effect on January 19.
According to Netanyahu’s office, three more, including a civilian woman and an elderly man, as well as a female soldier, will be released on Thursday.
In the same vein, the Palestinian prisoners’ Information Office said Israel will free 110 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including 30 minors and 32 prisoners serving life sentences for deadly attacks that killed dozens of Israelis.
According to an Israeli official, five Thai citizens abducted from Israel during Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the Gaza conflict may also be released on Thursday.
Israeli authorities said some 90 hostages presently remain in Gaza, 10 of them foreign nationals.
The second stage of the deal, if it is agreed in the negotiations, is meant to open the way to ending the war with the release of all hostages and a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza.
