Israel PM appoints close aide Ron Dermer to lead 2nd stage ceasefire talks with Hamas

An Israeli official said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed a close confidant to lead negotiations for the second stage of the ceasefire with Hamas. The US-born Ron Dermer is a Cabinet minister, who is widely seen as Mr Netanyahu’s closest adviser. He previously served as Israel’s ambassador to the US and is a former Republican activist with strong ties to the Trump White House.

Israel and Hamas have yet to negotiate a second



and more difficult phase of the ceasefire, and the first ends in early March. Since the war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, more than 50,000 people have died in Gaza and Lebanon and nearly 70 per cent of the buildings in Gaza have been devastated, according to health ministries in Gaza and Lebanon. Around 1,200 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023 attack.