Israel's security cabinet will meet on Monday to review the continuation of the ongoing truce in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced. The meeting follows a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff, who relayed Washington's expectations for the process to continue.
The first phase of the truce, which is scheduled to end on March 1, has already resulted in the release of 19 Israeli hostages and 1 Palestinian detainees. The agreement calls for a total of 134 hostages to be released, eight of whom are believed to have died, in exchange for 33 Palestinian prisoners.
The talks are expected to focus on the terms of a second phase that will ultimately lead to the release of all hostages still held by Hamas and a definitive end to hostilities. However, the outcome of the negotiations remains uncertain as the Israeli army continues its targeted operations in certain areas of the Gaza Strip.
The meeting comes amid strong diplomatic pressure, particularly from the United States and several European countries, which are urging Israel to extend the truce and pave the way for a lasting settlement of the conflict.
