After Israel’s Approval… What Does the Second Phase of Gaza Negotiations Include?

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Israel has agreed to launch the second phase of negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza after prolonged delays, establishing a new negotiation table with several key elements.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated in a press conference that the approval was granted during a meeting of the Security and Political Affairs Cabinet (“the Security Cabinet”) held last night.

He anticipated that the negotiations would begin this week but did not provide further details on their location.

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The negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire were originally scheduled to start at the beginning of the month, but Israel postponed them.

However, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Whitkoff pushed for the negotiations to begin this week.

The second phase aims to transform the temporary ceasefire into a permanent one, ultimately leading to the end of the war and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.

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Terms of the Second Phase

According to the signed agreement, the second phase, which lasts 42 days, will include:

• The declaration of a permanent ceasefire, marking the regular cessation of military operations and hostilities.
• A prisoner exchange, involving the release of all remaining Israeli hostages alive, in exchange for the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

The agreement also states that “at this stage, there will be a complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.”

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The second phase is expected to include the exchange of 9 Israeli soldiers for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

Both parties must agree on the number of Palestinian prisoners Israel will release per soldier, with estimates suggesting 500 Palestinian prisoners per soldier.

At the end of the second phase, the Israeli army will completely withdraw from Gaza.

During this phase, an agreement must be reached on who will govern the Gaza Strip after Hamas relinquishes control of the territory.

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