US President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy travelled to Israel and Qatar in a push to seal a ceasefire deal in Gaza before Trump’s inauguration in January.
Incoming Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in November, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing an unnamed source.
The meetings underscore how diplomacy’s centre of gravity has shifted from the Biden administration to the incoming Trump administration, with roughly one month to go before the inauguration.
Trump made ending wars in the Middle East a key part of his presidential campaign.
The Biden administration brokered a 60-day ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in November. That agreement has been fragile, with Israel attacking Lebanon since the day after the agreement was made. A senior US official told reporters last month that the Trump transition team was briefed on the deal as it was negotiated.
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Trump on Monday waded into Israel’s war on Gaza directly, warning Hamas on social media of massive repercussions if hostages there are not released by the time he takes office in January.
Trump’s comment comes after Hamas on Saturday released a video of 20-year-old Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who was captured while serving in the Israeli military. Alexander pleaded tearfully to Netanyahu to cut a deal for the hostages’ release.
Qatar’s involvement in the talks is notable because the Gulf state said previously it was suspending its mediator role amid a lack of progress in the talks.
The source told Reuters that Hamas negotiators could return to Doha “soon” for a fresh round of talks.
“They are supportive of a Gaza ceasefire deal,” the source told Reuters.
The Biden administration has tried to broker a ceasefire that would start with the release of hostages held in Gaza. It regularly blamed Hamas for standing in the way of a deal, particularly saying that Hamas chief Yayha Sinwar was the “main obstacle” to a settlement. However, since his killing in October, there has been no progress towards a ceasefire.
Analysts say Israel has been the main roadblock to ending the war and that Netanyahu has an interest in dragging out the fighting, as he faces domestic political issues, including a corruption trial and a possible inquiry into the Hamas attack if the conflict ends.
Witkoff, a Jewish-American real estate developer and Trump’s golfing friend, has struck several business deals with Gulf states, including the $623m sale of New York’s Park Lane Hotel to Qatar’s investment fund.
Trump has also named Massad Boulos, father-in-law of Trump’s daughter, as his senior advisor on the Middle East.
