Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who will be meeting US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Feb 4) in Washington DC, has reportedly skipped Gaza ceasefire talks with Hamas. 

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According to the ceasefire agreement, talks on the next phase to extend the ceasefire were due to begin on February 3. However, there has been silence from Netanyahu's office about when a negotiating team will hold the talks with the Palestinian militant group. 

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas came into force in January and is scheduled to expire on March 1. 

Also read: Netanyahu to discuss Gaza ceasefire with President Trump during ‘historic’ US visit

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However, Hamas has not said anything publicly about Monday's deadline for ceasefire talks. 

Moreover, the Israeli government has not yet disclosed the team which will be negotiating with the Hamas group. 

Earlier on Sunday, Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Than said that there was no clarity on when or how the talks would start. "We hope to see some movement in the coming days,” he added.

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Also read: Who are the 20 hostages in Gaza yet to be released by Hamas?

'No guarantees...'

As Trump and Netanyahu are set to meet today in the White House, the US president told reporters on Monday, "I have no guarantees that the peace is going to hold."

Although, Trump has been taking credit for the Gaza ceasefire agreement held between Israel and Hamas. 

Both leaders will be discussing the prospects of the ceasefire deal and will touch on a long-sought Israel-Saudi Arabia normalisation deal and concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme. 

Also read: Trump to meet Netanyahu at White House on Feb 4, Israel PM's office confirms

It will mark Netanyahu's first visit outside the country since the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for him. 

On Monday, Netanyahu and Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff began the daunting task of hammering out the next phase of a ceasefire agreement. 

Notably, the Palestinian militant group Hamas has reaffirmed control over Gaza since the ceasefire began last month and has said that it will not release hostages in the second phase without an end to the war as well as Israeli forces' complete withdrawal. 

(With inputs from agencies)