US Mideast envoy says phase two of Gaza talks to continue this week

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that talks on phase two of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas would continue this week “at a location to be determined” to figure out how to reach a successful conclusion.

He told Fox News that he had “very productive and constructive” calls on Sunday with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt’s director of intelligence.

Witkoff said they spoke 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.”

Netanyahu’s office later said the Israeli leader will hold a meeting of the security cabinet on Monday to discuss the second phase of the ongoing Gaza ceasefire deal.

Netanyahu informed Witkoff about the meeting, the office said in a statement, adding that “he will convene the security cabinet meeting tomorrow to discuss the second phase of the agreement.”

Netanyahu’s office also said an Israeli negotiating team will fly to Cairo on Monday to discuss continuing the implementation of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.