Donald Trump’s Center East envoy has met Israel’s prime minister in an effort to safe a ceasefire deal in Gaza earlier than the president-elect takes workplace on 20 January.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace confirmed particulars of the assembly with Steve Witkoff on Saturday, including that the pinnacle of the Israeli Mossad intelligence company has been deployed to Qatar as a way to “advance” talks.
It was not instantly clear when David Barnea would journey to Doha for the most recent spherical of oblique discussions between Israel and Hamas.
Earlier on Saturday, an Israeli official mentioned some progress had been made, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the USA, to achieve a deal in Gaza.
The mediators are making renewed efforts to halt preventing in Gaza and free the remaining Israeli hostages held there earlier than Mr Trump takes workplace.
A deal would additionally contain the discharge of some Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Households of Israeli hostages welcomed Mr Netanyahu’s resolution to dispatch the officers, with the Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board Headquarters describing it as a “historic alternative”.
Mr Witkoff arrived in Doha on Friday and met the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s international ministry mentioned.
Egyptian and Qatari mediators acquired reassurances from Mr Witkoff that the US would proceed to work in direction of a good deal to finish the struggle quickly, Egyptian safety sources mentioned, although no additional particulars had been launched.
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Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed throughout its borders in October 2023, killing 1,200 folks and taking greater than 250 hostages, in line with Israeli figures.
Households of the roughly 100 hostages nonetheless held in Gaza are urgent Mr Netanyahu to achieve a deal to convey their family members residence.
Since then, greater than 46,000 folks have been killed in Gaza, in line with Palestinian well being officers, with a lot of the world destroyed and gripped by a humanitarian disaster, with most of its inhabitants displaced.
