From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 12, 2025
After call with Trump and meeting with Witkoff, Netanyahu says he’ll send delegation to hostage talks in Doha tomorrow
Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sending a delegation to Doha tomorrow to negotiate a hostage release and ceasefire deal to enable the release of the remaining Gaza hostages, the Prime Minister’s Office announces.
The announcement comes after Netanyahu spoke with US President Donald Trump, and following a meeting with US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, the PMO says.
The premier “thanked President Trump for his assistance in securing the release of IDF soldier Edan Alexander,” the statement reads, while Trump “reiterated his commitment to Israel and his desire to continue close cooperation with the prime minister.”
In his meeting with Witkoff and Huckabee, Netanyahu discussed “the recent effort to implement the hostage release framework presented by Witkoff” ahead of the IDF’s potential expanded ground campaign in Gaza, the PMO continues, adding, “To that end, the prime minister instructed that a negotiation delegation be sent to Doha tomorrow.”
Netanyahu clarified that “the negotiations will take place only under fire,” with the military campaign against Hamas ongoing, concludes the PMO.
The Times of Israel Community.