President-elect Donald Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, recently visited Israel and Qatar for high-level talks aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. Witkoff met separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Progress has been made in ceasefire negotiations to end the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with efforts to coordinate between the incoming Trump and outgoing Biden administrations.
Witkoff has been in contact with Biden’s foreign policy team, and there are no current plans for senior adviser Brett McGurk to return to the region. Hamas' political wing member, Bassem Naim, expressed optimism about reaching a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.
Trump recently demanded the release of hostages held by Hamas before his inauguration in January. The war in Gaza began in 2023 when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, resulting in casualties and hostages. Witkoff is expected to operate from the White House as the Mideast peace envoy, similar to Jared Kushner's role in the previous administration.
Both Biden's and Trump's teams have acknowledged efforts to coordinate on Middle East issues, including brokering a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah on the Israel-Lebanon border. Trump's team claimed credit for the Lebanon ceasefire, while Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, downplayed Trump's role in the agreement.
Witkoff, a Florida real estate investor and co-chair of Trump's inaugural committee, was with Trump during an incident in September. The international mediators are actively engaged in negotiations to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, with hopes of resolving the conflict soon.
