Talks to shape next phase of truce deal as Gaza war marks 500th day
GAZA CITY
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Feb. 17 marked the 500th day since the start of the war, with talks to advance the next phase of a fragile ceasefire expected to renew.
The landmark day came just days after a major crisis in the ceasefire was overcome amid renewed threats of the resumption of the war.
A tenuous ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has held for nearly a month. But the current phase of the truce is set to expire in early March and it is unclear if the sides will extend it, begin negotiations for a more lasting ceasefire or resume fighting.
Relatives of the hostages are leading rallies and fasts across the country yesterday to call attention to and contemplation for the captives’ plight.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum was leading the event, which calls for a 500-minute fast and daylong protests under the banner: “Get them out of hell.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff that he will convene the security cabinet on Feb. 17 to discuss the second phase of the deal in Gaza.
The announcement came shortly after Witkoff said in an interview that the talks on the new phase have already begun and are expected to continue. The next phase of the ceasefire agreement includes the return of all hostages held by Hamas in exchange to an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
"Phase two is absolutely going to begin," Witkoff told Fox.
"I've had very productive and constructive talks with Netanyahu, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani and Egypt's director of intelligence about the sequencing of phase two, setting forth positions on both sides, so we can understand... where we are today, and then continuing talks this week at a location to be determined so that we can figure out how we get to the end of phase two successfully," Witkoff said.
Iran, meanwhile, condemned Netanyahu's call to "finish the job" against the Islamic republic as a breach of the U.N. Charter.
"Threatening others is both a gross violation of international law and the United Nations Charter," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters, adding Israel "can't do a thing" against Iran.
On Feb. 16, Netanyahu told a Jerusalem news conference with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Israel would "finish the job" against Iran with the support of the United States, its top ally.
Netanyahu also said Israel had "dealt a mighty blow to Iran's terror axis" during the past 16 months.
