Times of Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US President Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff in the premier’s Jerusalem office on Wednesday, where the two reportedly discussed the implementation of the full hostage release-ceasefire deal.
Netanyahu’s office did not provide any details about the meeting.
According to the Kan public broadcaster, Witkoff stressed to Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer that the US is committed to seeing that the deal with Hamas is completed.
The Kan report added that Witkoff told Netanyahu that he must resolve the political obstacles that could stand in the way of the completion of all three phases of the agreement.
The far-right Religious Zionism party has threatened to leave the government if fighting is not renewed after the ongoing, 42-day first phase, and claims that Netanyahu has given it assurances that the military campaign against Hamas will be resumed.
Channel 13 news reported that the meeting lasted for two-and-a-half hours, and quoted senior Israeli officials as saying the officials discussed possible outlines for the transfer of Gaza’s population, in line with the US president’s repeated suggestion that millions of Gazans should relocate to Egypt and Jordan in order to enable the Strip’s reconstruction.
Both Egypt and Jordan have come out strongly against Trump’s idea, saying that Palestinians should be allowed to remain in Gaza, underlining concerns that Palestinians who decamp for safety may never be allowed to return.
Earlier Wednesday, Witkoff made a visit to the Gaza Strip alongside Dermer.
Kan and Channel 12 said Witkoff visited the IDF-held Netzarim Corridor, which separates northern Gaza from the Strip’s center and south.
The US envoy, the first to visit the Strip in more than a decade, was shown inspections of Palestinian vehicles, which in recent days have been allowed to move northward under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Hundreds of thousands have also returned on foot, according to the UN.
Kan also aired footage of his convoy leaving the Strip.
A White House official confirmed to The Times of Israel that Witkoff entered Gaza earlier Wednesday before meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
The White House official also confirmed that on Tuesday, in Saudi Arabia, Witkoff met with Hussein al-Sheikh, a top aide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Earlier Wednesday, al-Sheikh published a post on X saying ‘We hold Envoy Witkoff in high regard and appreciate his efforts. We look forward to working with him and with the Trump administration to advance the cause of peace,’ he added.
It was the first meeting between Witkoff and a senior PA official, and indicated the Trump administration’s recognition that its efforts to advance a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia will have to include a Palestinian component.
Netanyahu to meet with Trump in DC
Netanyahu is slated to depart for Washington on Sunday to meet US President Donald Trump and will return to Israel next Thursday, though he reportedly may seek to extend his stay until Saturday.
According to his office, Netanyahu will take off from Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning, meet with Trump in the White House on Tuesday, and depart from DC on Thursday.
The PMO did not detail any other planned meetings for the five-day trip and said that the schedule was ‘subject to change’.