Efforts were being made on Wednesday to secure a meeting between senior Israeli, American, Qatari, and Egyptian officials to discuss the Gaza hostage deal’s second phase, a source familiar with details told The Jerusalem Post.
The meeting will include the Israeli delegation’s new lead negotiator, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, as well as US President Donald Trump’s Middle East special envoy, Steve Witkoff, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and Egypt’s intelligence chief, Maj.-Gen. Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, according to the source.
Attempts were also being made to secure the release of more hostages during this first phase, in addition to the six living hostages who are set to be released on Saturday and the eight slain hostages whose bodies will be returned to Israel this coming Thursday and the next.
Second phase of hostage deal negotiations
On Tuesday, the Post confirmed that Dermer would take over the Israeli negotiating team for the second phase talks. Earlier on Wednesday, an Israeli source familiar with the details sent a statement criticizing those who had previously been leading the talks, which include Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Ronen Bar, Mossad Director David Barnea, and IDF Maj.-Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon.
“The new team changed the dynamics and led negotiations instead of giving in,” the source claimed. “They also stopped the practice of constant briefings and biased narratives against the prime minister and the political leadership, which only caused Hamas to entrench its position and add further demands.”
Security officials hit back at these comments, stating in response that the one who set the mandate throughout the process was Netanyahu himself and that the agreements and framework established in the first phase were approved by the prime minister.