US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is set to lead a “large meeting” at the White House on Wednesday focused on Gaza.
According to Witkoff, the session will center around developing a “very comprehensive plan” that addresses the “day after” scenario once the current conflict comes to an end.
In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Witkoff discussed the administration’s approach to the future of the Gaza Strip, efforts to bring the war to a conclusion, and the ongoing push to secure the release of hostages.
Witkoff emphasized that “Hamas understands that they can have nothing to do with the government going forward. Those are terms of the Israelis and they’re terms of President Trump as well.”
When Baier asked whether Israel should be taking any different actions and what gives him confidence about a resolution, Witkoff responded, “Well, we think that we’re going to settle this one way or another, certainly before the end of this year. Hamas is now signaling that they’re open to a settlement. 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.”
He added, “And in addition to that, they also announced that they were open to continuing discussions with Hamas. So it’s not a maximalist approach on the Israelis’ part. They’re indicating that they have accommodations to make if Hamas decides to make them.”
Witkoff further urged Hamas to act humanely toward the hostages. “And we’ve suggested, by the way, that Hamas can begin by feeding the hostages, by giving them medical attention, by letting the Red Cross in, by doing the humane thing. The President is a humanitarian. That’s what he wants to see.”
{Matzav.com}
