Second phase of Gaza ceasefire talks begin in Cairo.
According to Reuters, while the first phase of the 42-day ceasefire agreement between the Israeli regime and the Hamas movement officially ends on Saturday, no agreement has yet been reached on how to implement the second phase of the ceasefire.
Accordingly, according to Egyptian officials, negotiations between Israel and Hamas have begun to determine the conditions for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire.
Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that a delegation from this country would travel to Egypt to explore the existence of common grounds for extending the first phase of the ceasefire, which ends in two days.
Two Egyptian government officials told Reuters that Israel is seeking to extend the first phase of the ceasefire and will release Palestinians held by the regime in exchange for the release of three Israeli prisoners each week.
It is not yet clear what will happen if the first phase of the ceasefire ends on Saturday and no agreement is reached.
While the Israeli regime faces public pressure to continue the ceasefire and release the remaining prisoners, some right-wing factions of the regime are calling for a resumption of the war to ethnically cleanse Gaza.