Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, said in an interview overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday with Fox News that Trump will convene a “large meeting” at the White House Wednesday on Gaza. He added that the administration is preparing a “very comprehensive plan” for the day after the war. “People will see how broad it is and how good its intentions are, and it reflects the president’s humanitarian motives,” Witkoff said.
His remarks came amid a stalemate in negotiations between Israel and Hamas. More than a week ago, Hamas delivered a positive response to mediators’ proposal for a partial deal, but Israel has yet to reply. Since then, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he ordered negotiations to focus only on a comprehensive deal.
Witkoff said Hamas, not Israel, is responsible for delaying the end of the war. “One hundred percent Hamas. There's been a deal on the table for the last six or seven weeks that would have released 10 of the hostages out of the 20 we believe are alive,” he said, after Trump recently said there are fewer than 20 hostages still living. “Hamas delayed this process, and now they say ‘we accept the deal.’ I think they backtracked because Israel is putting enormous pressure on them.”
Asked by Fox anchor Bret Baier, a Trump administration favorite, whether he believes Hamas should be destroyed as Netanyahu says, Witkoff did not give a firm answer. “That’s not my call,” he said. "I think that there needs to be a deal. There needs to be hostages sent home. There would be a commensurate amount of Palestinian prisoners who would be sent home too. Every time we see a hostage release, we see jubilation on both sides."
“Hamas understands that they can have nothing to do with the government going forward,” he added, pointing out that this is a condition set forth both by Israel and Trump.
After Trump said Tuesday he expects an end to the war within two or three weeks, Witkoff offered a different timeline, saying he expects progress “before the end of this year.”
“We think we’ll reach an agreement, one way or another, definitely before the end of this year,” he said. ““Hamas is now signaling that they’re open to a settlement,” he said, adding: "The Israelis when they announced this operation also announced at the same time that they were funding $600 million of aid to go into Gaza."
“They also announced that they were open to continuing discussions with Hamas,” he said.
"This is not a maximalist approach by Israel. They are signaling they are willing to compromise if Hamas decides to do so,” Witkoff said. “We also suggested, by the way, that Hamas begin by feeding the hostages, by giving them medical attention, by letting the Red Cross in. The president is a humanitarian, and that is what he wants to see.”
When asked if the U.S. position is identical to that of Israeli officials, who say they will no longer accept a partial hostage deal, Witkoff confirmed it is. “That is the official position, and it is also the official position of President Trump. I think he said to himself, there’s no need to leave these hostages behind. We’ll negotiate, if they want, over what Gaza will look like afterward and what Hamas’ definition will be. That can be discussed, but we want, unequivocally — and I say this under the president’s guidance — all the hostages home.”
He also addressed the strike at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where Palestinians said at least 20 people were killed, including five journalists. “Anytime you have civilian deaths, it’s a tragedy," he said, adding that Trump has met with almost every hostage family.
“It’s a war, and part of what we’re trying to do is shut that war down. It doesn’t need to go on. Hamas has held that region hostage for much too long, and it’s time for it to end. Many of the Arab governments are in that camp as well."
Trump: The war in Gaza must end
(צילום: רויטרס)
Witkoff described his own visits to Gaza: “I was there twice, wearing a flak jacket, under my black MAGA hat. And people cheered when they saw it — not because of me, but because of the hat, because of the president. He is very respected there, not just in Gaza but also in Israel. It is a very dangerous place. There are over 30,000 unexploded munitions all over the place. It is a demolition zone, and it’s a tough place.”
A meeting of Israel’s security cabinet, originally scheduled to meet Tuesday evening at 6 p.m., was moved up to 4 p.m. and limited to three hours — at Netanyahu’s request — so he and other ministers could attend a VIP dinner hosted by Binyamin Regional Council head Israel Gantz at Vista restaurant in Jerusalem, Ynet reported.
The discussion, focused on a “regional overview,” did not specifically include Gaza. During the session, Netanyahu told ministers: “I instructed that we deal only with a comprehensive deal for the return of all the hostages and the end of the war on Israel’s terms.” Several ministers reportedly said, “This was the driest discussion we’ve had.” Netanyahu also addressed Trump’s comment that fewer than 20 hostages remain alive, saying: “I don’t know what he based that on. That is not what we know.”