Netanyahu’s office says Israeli negotiators in Egypt for Gaza talks

By Lazar Berman

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16 March 2025, 6:35 pm

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Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

Palestinians gather for a mass fast-breaking iftar meal amid the rubble of destroyed buildings, and the ruins of the Salim Abu Muslim mosque (top-L) in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on March 15, 2025, during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

Israeli negotiators are in Egypt to discuss with senior Egyptian officials the ongoing efforts to reach a deal with Hamas to free more hostages, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Negotiators returned from Doha on Friday after unsuccessful attempts to extend the ceasefire with Hamas in return for the release of more hostages.

Israel says it backs a proposal by US special envoy Steve Witkoff to free half the hostages at the start of an extended ceasefire that will last at least through the Passover holiday. The rest of the hostages could go free at the end of the ceasefire if an agreement is reached to end the war in Gaza.