Jerusalem, Feb 02 (V7N) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to Washington on Monday to begin discussions on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, his office confirmed.

The move comes just hours after the fourth hostage-prisoner exchange under the current truce, which saw three Israeli hostages released in exchange for 183 Palestinian detainees.

Talks on the Next Steps

Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, on Sunday, agreeing that negotiations would start once they meet in Washington.

The first phase of the ceasefire, set to last 42 days, is scheduled to end next month. The next phase is expected to focus on the release of remaining hostages and could include discussions on a longer-term ceasefire—a move that is likely to face resistance from hardline members of Netanyahu’s coalition.

While no official date has been set for broader negotiations, the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt, who have played key mediation roles, are expected to be involved.

Hostages Released, but Families Say ‘It’s Not Over’

On Saturday, Hamas released three hostages:

Ofer Kalderon

Yarden Bibas

Keith Siegel, a U.S.-Israeli dual citizen

The Israeli military confirmed they were back in Israel after being transferred by the Red Cross from Khan Younis and Gaza City.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinians gathered in Ramallah and Khan Younis to welcome the release of 183 prisoners, most of them women and minors.

“A quarter of our heart has returned to us after 15 long months. But the home remains incomplete,” said the Bibas family in a statement.

A fifth exchange is expected next Saturday, with sources indicating that Hamas could release more hostages in return for additional prisoners.

After Saturday’s hostage release, Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopened, allowing 50 Palestinian patients, including 30 children with cancer, to leave for treatment.

“We now have 6,000 cases ready for transfer and more than 12,000 in dire need of treatment,” said Gaza hospitals director Muhammad Zaqout.

With Netanyahu heading to Washington and Biden facing pressure to broker a longer ceasefire, all eyes will be on how the next phase of talks unfolds. Trump is also expected to meet Netanyahu on Tuesday, further complicating the geopolitical landscape.

END/WD/RH/