Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, provided an update on the progress of negotiations towards an agreement with Hamas, stating that only one unresolved issue remains, and he is optimistic that an agreement will be reached soon.
Witkoff said, “We had four disagreements, and now only one remains. I hope we will be able to reach an agreement by the end of the week.”
The unresolved issue is currently the location of the IDF during the ceasefire. According to Witkoff, the emerging deal includes a 60-day ceasefire during which Hamas is expected to release ten live hostages and nine deceased hostages.
An Israeli official who attended a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump last night said, “The president wants to see the war come to an end.”
Meanwhile, as progress is being made in the talks, Prime Minister Netanyahu is set to meet again with President Trump tonight.
After Netanyahu's meeting at the Capitol with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, he stated: “We have accepted Witkoff’s proposal, we’ve come closer to it, and I hope we will cross the line to an agreement. I am focused on the result, and so is President Trump. We’ve learned that when Israel and the U.S. stand together, great things happen, and it’s never been like this. In 77 years, there has never been such trust and cooperation as there is today.”
“We agreed to the proposal that came from the mediators. It’s a good proposal. It aligns with Witkoff’s original proposal, and I hope we can cross the line to a deal. The less I speak about it publicly, the better. We are talking about a ceasefire, and we are also ready to end the war on terms that will prevent Hamas from operating further and ensure that Gaza will not pose a threat to Israel. There is a plan on how to do this.”
“The president and I believe in the doctrine of peace through strength,” Netanyahu continued. “His support for us has caused an extraordinary change in the Middle East. The B-2 pilots showed power, Israeli fighters fought like lions, and our alliance reverberated like thunder. There are opportunities for peace that we intend to seize. We are working together.”