Particular envoy to the Center East Steve Witkoff is scheduled to journey to Europe this week for conferences on a variety of points, together with the Israel-Hamas battle, and can proceed pushing for a ceasefire and peace deal, in keeping with a U.S. official.
FILE: Steve Witkoff, particular envoy to the Center East, attends assembly between President Trump and NATO Secretary Basic Mark Rutte on the White Home on July 14, 2025.
Kevin Dietsch / Getty Photographs
In a briefing with reporters Tuesday, State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce urged Witkoff might quickly go to the Center East, however declined to supply particulars about his itinerary.
“When it comes to the specific location of the envoy, I do not have that,” Bruce mentioned.
Oblique negotiations between Israel and Hamas are ongoing, in keeping with an Israeli official, and the Israeli authorities expects to quickly obtain Hamas’ response to a suggestion made final week.
Up to now, there have been no breakthroughs as they try to dealer a 60-day ceasefire, initially proposed by the U.S., within the 21-month warfare. Doha, Qatar, hosted oblique talks between the 2 events earlier this month.
Witkoff, in keeping with two diplomatic sources, was anticipated to journey to the Center East if negotiations progressed and a deal might doubtlessly be closed. He met final week with Qatari officers on the White Home simply earlier than President Trump hosted the Qatari prime minister for a dinner that stretched late into the evening. It occurred as diplomatic efforts had been reaching a important second within the pursuit of a deal to launch the 20 dwelling Israeli hostages, free some Palestinian detainees, enable the entry of a lot wanted meals and assist to civilians in Gaza, and produce a few cessation of violence and repositioning of Israeli Protection Forces.
The 2 sources indicated that the Trump administration is cautiously optimistic about the potential of an impending break within the Gaza negotiations that might result in a 60-day ceasefire and hostage launch.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington in early July to debate the cope with the Trump administration however a sticking level emerged over the deployment of Israeli troops throughout the truce. Israel needs to maintain forces in what it says is a vital land hall in southern Gaza, however Hamas views the presence of Israeli troops on that strip of land as a sign that Israel intends to proceed the warfare as soon as a brief ceasefire expires.
The Knesset goes right into a three-month summer time recess subsequent week, on July 27, which might give Netanyahu extra political flexibility in ceasefire negotiations.
Within the meantime, Israel has continued to hold out navy operations in Gaza, and on Sunday, it issued new evacuation orders to incorporate an space that has been considerably much less exhausting hit than others, indicating a brand new battleground could also be opening up and squeezing Palestinians additional south.
In a social media submit printed Sunday, the Israel Protection Forces warned Palestinians that it was working “with great force to destroy the enemy’s capabilities and terrorist infrastructure” within the central metropolis of Deir al-Balah, “as it expands its activities in this region to operate in an area it has not operated in before.”
Officers from the Hamas-run well being ministry in Gaza additionally mentioned greater than 80 folks had been killed making an attempt to entry emergency meals provides on Sunday.
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