Israeli representatives were en route on Tuesday to talks on the next phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal following an agreement on exchanging Palestinian prisoners for the bodies of Israeli hostages, a US envoy said, AFP reports.

Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s point person on the Middle East, repeated that he was also ready to head back to the region to boost diplomacy.

“We’re making a lot of progress. Israel is sending a team right now as we speak,” Witkoff told an event in Washington for the American Jewish Committee.

“It’s either going to be in Doha or in Cairo, where negotiations will begin again with the Egyptians and the Qataris,” he said.

Mediators said yesterday they restored a swap that was part of the first phase of the deal, which is set to end on March 1.