U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, focusing on efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, Netanyahu’s office reported. Following their meeting, Netanyahu sent a high-level delegation, including the Mossad chief, to Qatar to advance talks on returning hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Progress has reportedly been made in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. Efforts aim to finalize a deal to halt fighting and release hostages before Trump’s inauguration on January 20. The agreement may also involve releasing Palestinian prisoners from Israeli custody.
Netanyahu’s move was welcomed by families of Israeli hostages, who called it a “historic opportunity.” Witkoff arrived in Doha on Friday, where he met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Egyptian and Qatari mediators said Witkoff assured them of continued U.S. support for achieving a fair resolution but withheld specific details.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after an October 2023 Hamas attack killed 1,200 people and captured over 250 hostages. Since then, over 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, with widespread destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis displacing most of the enclave’s population.
On Saturday, an Israeli airstrike on a former school in Jabalia, sheltering displaced families, killed eight people, including two women and two children. Israel stated the target was Hamas militants operating at the site. Later strikes in Gaza City killed five more civilians, the Gaza Civil Emergency Service reported. Israel confirmed targeting Hamas militants in those areas.