White House: Witkoff to head to Doha to advance Gaza talks

 Hebrew media reported that Witkoff could fly out as early as Tuesday.

By JNS

U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Doha, Qatar “later this week” to join the ongoing ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, the White House confirmed on Monday afternoon.

U.S. President Donald Trump is currently focused on getting Hamas to agree to the Qatar-brokered proposal that Israel has already approved, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told journalists.

“I don’t want to comment on the details of the arrangement out of respect for these negotiations, but an agreeable and appropriate ceasefire has been sent to Hamas,” said Leavitt.

Witkoff “intends to travel to Doha later this week, where he will continue to engage in these discussions,” the White House spokeswoman stated.

“The Qataris and the Egyptians have been incredibly helpful partners in mediating these negotiations and discussions to bring peace to this region and end this conflict once and for all,” she added.

Hebrew media reported that Witkoff could fly out as early as Tuesday.

Witkoff, speaking with the press on Monday evening before a working dinner with Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said, “We have an opportunity to finally get a peace deal, Mr. Prime Minister, as we discussed, and I’m hopeful for it very quickly.”

However, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a key member of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, said the Jewish state had “no choice” but to keep fighting.

“Those who, out of pain and shortsightedness, call for surrender to the enemy and a halt to the fighting before its destruction will, God forbid, bring about far greater bloodshed in the inevitable future rounds of conflict that will surely come soon,” Smotrich tweeted on Tuesday.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on the prime minister to “immediately recall the delegation that went to negotiate with the Hamas murderers in Doha.”

“There is no need to negotiate with those who kill our fighters—they must be crushed to dust, starved to death and not given air through humanitarian aid that provides them oxygen,” Ben-Gvir tweeted.

Israeli Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli also urged Netanyahu to “decisively” defeat Hamas, “with a resounding victory, without giving it further respite to recover and reorganize.”

Meanwhile, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid Party) stated: “For the sake of the fighters, for the sake of their families, for the sake of the hostages, for the sake of the State of Israel: this war must be ended.”

The United States is pressuring Qatar to “deliver” on efforts to finalize a deal for the release of the hostages, according to Israel Hayom.

A source familiar with the matter told the outlet that from the White House’s perspective, with Israel having responded positively to the latest truce proposal, it is now Qatar’s responsibility to ensure the terrorist group agrees as well.

Israel’s negotiators updated Netanyahu on Monday that the atmosphere in Doha remained positive, and a member of the premier’s delegation rejected reports that the talks had stalled and said there was a good chance of reaching a deal during Netanyahu’s U.S. ongoing visit.

A Palestinian source told AFP that the indirect talks would continue on Tuesday and were “focused on the mechanisms for implementation, particularly the clauses related to withdrawal and humanitarian [aid].”

Last week, Trump said that “we’re close to a deal on Gaza,” adding: “I think there’s a good chance we have a deal with Hamas during the coming week. We’ve gotten a lot of the hostages out, but pertaining to the remaining hostages, quite a few of them will be coming out.”

Fifty hostages remain in captivity in Gaza, including at least 20 who are believed to be alive 640 days after being taken during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border massacre in southern Israeli communities.