Netanyahu orders team to leave for Doha for Gaza truce talks

“Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Saturday a delegation to leave for the Qatari capital of Doha to partake in negotiations for the second phase of the Gaza truce – according to a statement from his office cited by AFP.

"With the completion of the release phase, Prime Minister Netanyahu has instructed the dispatch of a negotiation delegation to Doha to discuss technical details of the agreement," the statement said.

Hebrew media reported, citing senior officials, that this is a “symbolic warm-up trip” and no advances in the talks are expected; as the delegation has not been given a mandate from the political leadership to conduct the negotiations to advance the deal towards its second phase.

After Netanyahu returns from Washington, the security cabinet will convene and decide whether and to what extent the mandate for the negotiating delegation will be given.