By Zein Khalil and Mohammad Sio
JERUSALEM (AA) - The US envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff will visit the Gaza Strip on Wednesday to inspect the Netzarim Corridor before meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas, Israel's public broadcaster KAN reported on Tuesday.
Witkoff is expected to hold a joint meeting with Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and other officials.
On Monday, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians began returning from southern and central Gaza to the Gaza and northern governorates via the Netzarim corridor, using the coastal Al-Rashid Street for pedestrians and Salah al-Din Street for vehicles after undergoing security checks.
Multiple Israeli and international reports suggest Witkoff played a crucial role in persuading Netanyahu to agree to the Jan. 19 Gaza truce.
Under the agreement, indirect negotiations on the second phase of the deal are set to begin on the 16th day of the ceasefire.
The first six-week phase of the agreement took effect on Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
The Israeli onslaught has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis.