US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump will chair “a large meeting” on Gaza at the White House on Wednesday.
Asked if there is a “day after” plan for Gaza, Witkoff told Fox News’ Bret Baier: “Yes, we’ve got a large meeting in the White House tomorrow, chaired by the president, and it’s a very comprehensive plan we’re putting together on the next day.”
When asked why he was optimistic about reaching a hostage and ceasefire deal, Witkoff stated that the Trump administration expects the conflict to end by 2026.
“We think we’re going to settle this one way or another, certainly before the end of this year,” he said.
“Hamas is signaling that they’re 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.”
"It's not a maximalist approach on the Israeli's part. They are indicating that they have accommodations to make if Hamas decides to make them."
'Hamas can begin by feeding hostages, by giving them medical attention,' Witkoff says
Witkoff added that the Trump administration suggested to Hamas that a good start to begin negotiations would be to pay more attention to the hostages.
“We’ve suggested, by the way, that Hamas can begin by feeding the hostages, by giving them medical attention, letting the Red Cross come in, by doing the humane thing,” he said. “The president is a humanitarian; that is what he wants to see.
Earlier, Witkoff reportedly told Trump that “They talk about you a lot in Hostages Square,” during a cabinet meeting.
“I wish I had a camera to show you,” Witkoff said.