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4 Feb, 06:27Updated at: 07:41

Israel to send delegation to Doha later this week, Netanyahu’s office announces

"Following the meeting, Israel is preparing to dispatch a working delegation to Doha later this week to discuss technical details related to further implementation of the Gaza ceasefire deal," the statement reads

TEL AVIV, February 4. /TASS/. Israel will send a working delegation to Qatar later this week, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene a security cabinet meeting upon his return from the United States to discuss the Israeli position on Stage 2 of the latest Gaza deal, the Israeli PM’s office said in a statement.

According to it, Netanyahu has met in Washington with US President Donald Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz and the US leader’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steven Witkoff. "Following the meeting, Israel is preparing to dispatch a working delegation to Doha later this week to discuss technical details related to further implementation of the Gaza ceasefire deal," the statement reads.

Upon his return from the United States, Netanyahu will convene a security cabinet meeting to discuss the general Israeli stance regarding Stage 2 of the hostage release deal which will determine the further course of negotiations, the office said.

Netanyahu’s meeting with Waltz and Witkoff "was held in a positive and friendly atmosphere," his office added.

The Israeli PM’s office announced on February 1 that Netanyahu and Witkoff have agreed to launch talks on the next stage of the Gaza deal in Washington on February 3. The announcement read that Witkoff was also expected to meet with the prime minister of Qatar and high-ranking Egyptian officials in the next few days, after which he and Netanyahu will discuss steps toward facilitating the negotiating process, including sending delegations to engage in further talks.

Earlier, advisor to the Qatari PM and Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari said that, as agreed with the mediators, Netanyahu was to send a negotiating team to Doha on February 3 to discuss details of the next stage of the Gaza ceasefire deal but decided not to do so until after his upcoming meeting with Trump.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas came into effect on January 19. On the same day, the Palestinian radical group released the first three Israeli women. During the first 42-day phase of the deal, Hamas will release at least 33 hostages in exchange for Israel freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Russian national Alexander Trufanov, who is also an Israeli citizen, is among the 33 hostages to be released by Hamas.