JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is set to arrive in Israel on Saturday evening, accompanied by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, according to Israeli media.

Channel 12 reported that Witkoff and Kushner will arrive in Tel Aviv in preparation for a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Friday, Channel 12, citing unnamed sources, reported that Netanyahu is expected to meet Witkoff and Kushner in Jerusalem to discuss the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

The sources added that Israel’s security and political Cabinet will convene on Sunday to review developments related to the Gaza Strip.

On Thursday, Netanyahu’s office announced that the Cabinet would discuss early next week the issue of reopening the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

The crossing was scheduled to reopen in October as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on Oct. 10, but Israel did not comply.

While Ali Shaath, head of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, announced that the Rafah crossing would reopen next week during a televised speech following the signing of the “Board of Peace” charter in Davos, the Israeli side has not confirmed this.

An Israeli official linked the reopening of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing to the recovery of the remains of their last captive from Gaza, said to belong to a police officer, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.

The second phase of the agreement also stipulates the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian factions, an additional withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the launch of reconstruction efforts, which the United Nations estimates will cost about $70 billion.

The first phase included a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange involving the release of Israeli captives in return for Palestinian prisoners. However, Tel Aviv has continued to violate the agreement on a daily basis.

The Israeli army has killed more than 71,000 people, most of them women and children, and injured over 171,000 in a brutal offensive since October 2023 that left Gaza in ruins.

Despite a ceasefire that began Oct. 10, Israel has continued to carry out attacks, killing 481 Palestinians and wounding 1,313, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.