(VOVWORLD) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will begin negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire in Washington, D.C., Sunday, according to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office.
 Relatives welcome released Palestinian hostages in Ramallah, West Bank, February 1, 2025. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) |
Netanyahu and the US Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, agreed that negotiations would begin upon their meeting in Washington.
According to a statement, phase two is expected to include the release of the remaining hostages and discussions on a more permanent end to the conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting the US to discuss the situation in Gaza, the hostages held by Hamas, and other issues with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Arab foreign ministers on Saturday rejected the transfer of Palestinians from their land under any circumstances, expressing unified opposition to Trump's proposal that Egypt and Jordan accept residents of the Gaza.
In a joint statement following a meeting in Cairo, foreign ministers and officials from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Palestine, and the Arab League expressed their desire to work with the Trump administration to achieve a comprehensive Middle East peace based on a two-state solution.
Earlier, on January 25, US President Donald Trump said that he had proposed to Jordan's King Abdullah II the idea of building settlements and transferring over a million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Jordan and Egypt, saying that this would contribute to establishing peace in the Middle East.