The White House is set to hold a high-level discussion Wednesday on post-war plans for Gaza, as two senior Israeli ministers visit Washington amid growing U.S. pressure for a swift end to the nearly two-year war.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar was scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer was also in Washington for talks.
Trump: 'Conclusive ending' to Gaza war weeks away
(Video: Reuters)
American officials in recent weeks have repeatedly signaled the Trump administration’s desire to see the war conclude quickly. Both President Donald Trump and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, have suggested the timeline for continued military operations should be short, even if Israel proceeds with its approved plan to capture Gaza City.
According to Axios, Trump convened what Witkoff described as a “big meeting” that included his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. A senior U.S. official told the outlet that Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the protracted fighting. “I can’t watch this anymore. It’s a terrible thing,” Trump reportedly told associates.
Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would reenter negotiations to end the war and secure the release of all hostages "under conditions acceptable to Israel.” However, an Israeli delegation has yet to be dispatched to Doha or Cairo.
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Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump
(Photo: Chaim Goldberg, Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP, Chip Somodevilla pool via REUTERS)
Publicly, Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will pursue only a comprehensive deal, while Hamas has signaled readiness to accept a framework advanced by Witkoff—at least according to Witkoff himself. After months in which Israel pressed for that very framework, officials have shifted course.
On Tuesday, Trump predicted a “conclusive ending” to the war within two to three weeks. Witkoff, however, offered a different timeline in a televised interview, saying he expected a resolution “before the end of the year.”
Meanwhile, the IDF is preparing for what it calls a “takeover” of Gaza City, while Hamas has launched a campaign urging civilians to stay put, telling them to leave “only to paradise.”
Witkoff said Hamas had agreed to the latest proposal but only after deliberate delays, which he argued were to blame for the collapse of talks. Under the deal, 10 hostages would be released alive and the bodies of 18 others returned during a 60-day ceasefire, with negotiations for the broader agreement Netanyahu now demands continuing in that period.
The proposed arrangement also includes U.S. guarantees that Israel would not resume fighting on the 61st day. Netanyahu, however, has signaled support for continuing negotiations while military operations persist, leaving the deal at an impasse.