A meeting is scheduled at the White House on Wednesday to discuss a comprehensive plan for the Gaza Strip following the Israel-Hamas war, according to Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
President Donald Trump will chair the summit, which Witkoff revealed during an interview Tuesday on “Special Report with Bret Baier” on Fox News.
WATCH IN FULL: U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions)'s must-watch interview with @BretBaier on @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/0LmD5y68yR
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“We have a large meeting in the White House tomorrow chaired by the president, and it’s a very comprehensive plan we are putting together on the next day, that I think many people are going to be, they are going to see how robust it is. And how well-meaning it is. And it reflects President Trump’s humanitarian motives here,” said Witkoff.
The envoy, who has visited Gaza twice during the war, described it as a “very dangerous place,” with over 30,000 unexploded munitions scattered across the territory.
“It is a demolition zone and it’s a tough place ... worse than most people would imagine,” adding that it “will take some time.”
Trump is aligned with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a partial deal, with Jerusalem pursuing a comprehensive agreement for all of the remaining 50 hostages, of whom 20 are believed to be alive, and an end to the war on Israel’s terms.
“That’s the official position and that’s President Trump’s official position,” said Witkoff.
He blamed Hamas for delaying the end of the war, crediting Israeli pressure for getting the terrorist group to soften its stance on a potential deal.
“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 that we think that are alive and it was Hamas who slow-played that process, and it is Hamas now who is saying we accept that deal. And I think in large part they are saying that and changing their mind because the Israelis are putting some very intense pressure on them,” he said.
Witkoff said it wasn’t his call whether Hamas is destroyed, which both Netanyahu and Trump have called for. He stressed the importance of pressing for a deal to release the hostages and emphasized that Hamas will not play a role in governing Gaza after the war.
“There needs to be a deal. There needs to be hostages sent home. There would be a commensurate amount of Palestinian prisoners that would be sent home too. Every time there is a release we see jubilation on both sides, and Hamas understands that they can have nothing to do with the government going forward. Those are terms of the Israelis and they are terms of President Trump as well.”
Striking an optimistic tone, Witkoff suggested that a settlement will be achieved before the end of this year.
“We think that we are going to settle this one way or another, certainly before the end of this year. Hamas is now signaling that they are 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, 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,” he said.
“They are indicating that they have accommodations to make if Hamas decides to make them, and we 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,” he added.
With regard to Monday’s strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, which killed terrorists, but also civilians, including journalists, Witkoff said that “any time you have civilian deaths, it’s a tragedy.”
The goal, he continued, is “trying to shut that war down.”
“It doesn’t need to continue to happen anymore, and I think that Hamas has held that region hostage for much too long and it’s time for it to end, and I think many of the Arab governments by the way are in that camp as well.”
Israel’s Security Cabinet is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. on Sunday to approve the Israel Defense Forces’ operational plans for taking control of Gaza City, the Channel 12 News broadcaster reported on Wednesday.
Netanyahu on Aug. 14 outlined his government’s parameters for ending the war against Hamas terrorists. The five conditions for victory are the full disarmament of Hamas; the return of all 50 remaining hostages; the demilitarization of the entire Strip; security control of Gaza; and establishing “an alternative civilian administration” in the enclave.
