Washington: United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff announced that President Donald Trump would be chairing a White House meeting on the Gaza Strip later on Wednesday. The meeting aims to present a broader plan to end the ongoing conflict in the region.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Witkoff, in an interview with Fox News, indicated that an agreement on releasing hostages and a ceasefire between the Israeli forces and Hamas might be reached "one way or another," potentially before the end of the year. He mentioned that Hamas was amenable to a settlement, while the Israeli authorities have indicated their willingness to permit USD 600 million worth of aid to enter the Gaza Strip.
Witkoff further noted that the administration was optimistic about ending the conflict within the year. President Trump announced late Monday that the Gaza war could conclude in two to three weeks, addressing the severe humanitarian crisis of man-made starvation affecting Palestinians in the region.
In a related development, last July, Witkoff had announced that the US delegation had withdrawn from the ceasefire talks in the Gaza Strip, which were supervised by Qatar.