President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to the war-torn Gaza Strip as part of efforts to get a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas on track, according to a transition official with direct knowledge. He is considering a visit. A look at the ceasefire process.
Underscoring how fragile the president-elect’s team believes the cease-fire agreement, which is set to take effect Sunday, Witkoff also said it will continue to work in the coming weeks and months to troubleshoot any flare-ups on the ground. The official, who will have a near-permanent presence in the region, said he believed he could renege on the agreement and halt the release of hostages held by Hamas at any time.
“We need to stay on top of things in case something goes wrong,” the official said.
At the same time, Mr. Witkoff is working to achieve long-term stability for Israelis and the two million displaced Palestinians, a path that will be realized through the three stages of the agreement reached last week.
The first phase, which begins Sunday, is expected to last about six weeks and includes the release of Palestinian hostages held by Hamas and Israel. The second phase is expected to be negotiated during the first phase and result in the release of additional hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The goal of the final stage, which still requires negotiations, is to end the war and begin rebuilding Gaza.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas’ first terrorist attack on Israel killed 1,200 people and took approximately 250 hostages. The attack shocked the country and upset many Israelis who believed they had military superiority in the region.
Since then, the conflict has added multiple fronts, with Israel seeking to eradicate Iran and Iranian-backed enemies in neighboring countries.
For now, the biggest concern for Trump’s envoy is the violent incidents caused by the inevitable daily contact between Israelis and Palestinians on the ground in and around Gaza, even with a cease-fire agreement. .
“Remember, there are many people, radicals, fanatics, not only from the Hamas side, but also from the right wing of the Israeli side, who are absolutely motivated to shatter this entire agreement,” the regime said. said a transition official.
A visit to Gaza will allow Witkoff to see the power dynamics there for himself, rather than just taking Israelis and Palestinians at their word, the official said. Must be,” he added.
Trump and his team are managing the current phase of the agreement and negotiating the next steps, while also working on a long-term solution.
“If we don’t help Gazans, if we don’t improve their lives, if we don’t give them hope, there will be an uprising,” the transition official said.
The question remains how to rebuild Gaza and where to relocate some 2 million Palestinians in the meantime. Indonesia, for example, is one of the places some people are being discussed as a destination, transition officials said.
Even the question of whether Gazans are willing to relocate is up in the air. The idea of migration is hotly debated among Palestinians and Arabs. Many believe that relocation would be the first step in forcing Israel from leaving the land.
For now, however, the issue of obtaining aid for Gaza, which is needed in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, remains a challenge. Israel remains concerned that the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is dire, with Hamas taking some of the aid it is allowed to receive. Hunger and disease are widespread, and the situation continues to worsen.
Israeli attacks on Gaza over the past year and a half have killed more than 45,000 people, mostly women and children, Palestinian health officials say. The bombing also destroyed the enclave’s medical system and forced people from their homes and into squalid tent camps.
Witkoff, a real estate developer who has known President Trump for decades, joins President Joe Biden’s team, which has been working on a deal for more than a year, and is negotiating a deal following a unique directive from Trump. transition officials said. Please send the hostages home, and if you don’t, come back and explain why.
The margin for reaching an agreement was narrower than before. Not only did President Trump set a deadline that had not been met in previous negotiations (January 20, the day he took the oath of office), but he also set a deadline that had not been met during previous negotiations, as temperatures in the region cooled and more hostages were taken in the coming weeks. Name died. Transition officials said the situation continues to worsen.
The process is also clouded by President Trump’s close alliance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his threat to stop further Israeli bombing of Gaza without a deal.
Israel is a close ally of the United States, and the United States provided it with at least $17.9 billion in military aid last year.
Mr. Witkoff used Mr. Trump’s history with Israel and his power relationship with Mr. Netanyahu to put pressure on Israel. In one instance, he went to see the prime minister on the Sabbath and had a frank exchange. Witkoff privately told the public that his remarks to Netanyahu on Saturday, January 11, were not a threat and that he had been invited to the prime minister’s office by Ron Dermer, one of Netanyahu’s closest aides.
Witkoff wants a reality check from Netanyahu about what he is willing to do and what is needed to reach an agreement, including ensuring that Israel sends a high-level representative to the negotiations in Doha who can make decisions. spoke frankly. in real time, transition officials said. He essentially told the Prime Minister: “If you’re not going to do a deal, just tell me and I’ll get on a plane and go home.”
In discussions with Israeli officials, he didn’t hesitate to point out everything Trump has done for Israel. During his first term, President Trump moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, and cut US aid to the Palestinians. In discussions with Israeli officials, he noted that President Trump was willing to demonstrate political zeal to reach an agreement, and implored Israel to do the same.
This was the message conveyed to Hamas through the Qataris. If you’re not willing to die, tell me why you don’t think this is an agreement that could ultimately lead to an end to the war.
Witkoff also developed close relationships with the families of the hostages. They have expressed concern that their loved ones will be left behind in the second phase of the deal, which is supposed to free them, and in particular whether there will be enough Palestinian prisoners held by Israel to be exchanged. I was concerned. That number was agreed last May when it was included in the framework agreement, and without phase one there can be no phase two, and phase two has not yet been negotiated.
Phase 1 could collapse any time in the next six weeks. The first American hostage, Keith Siegel, is not scheduled to be released until the 14th day of the ceasefire, two officials familiar with the matter said. Five other American families will not be able to bring their children home, dead or alive, unless the ceasefire lasts into phase two.
