The rush to retain an Israel-Hamas cease-fire has as soon as once more picked up steam as Qatar has returned to the negotiating desk, and President-elect Donald Trump’s Center East envoy has begun his diplomatic orientation via assembly with lead gamers within the patch within the pursuit of liberating the 100 hostages still in Gaza.
A supply usual with the continued talks showed to Fox Information Virtual that Steve Witkoff, tapped via Trump to be his diplomatic envoy within the breezy patch, met with Israeli Top Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatari Top Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in overdue November.
Even though the talks between Witkoff and the Center Jap leaders seem to be an aim to kickstart stalled negotiations between Israel and the terrorist organization, any exit following his conferences extra concealed.

Steve Witkoff, founder and leading govt officer of Witkoff Workforce LLC, speaks all over a marketing campaign tournament with former President Donald Trump, no longer pictured, at Madison Sq. Grassland in Brandnew York Town on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (Adam Grey/Bloomberg by means of Getty Pictures)
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“Both agreed a Gaza cease-fire is needed before [the] Trump inauguration so that once the Trump administration takes office it can move onto other issues, like stabilizing the region after a year filled with war and instability,” a supply briefed at the talks mentioned.
In spite of greater than a yearlong attempt to broker a cease-fire and retain the loose of 100 hostages – seven of whom are American and best 3 of whom are nonetheless believed to be alive later 425 days in captivity – a U.S. legit mentioned Witkoff’s conferences have been a walk to get him on top of things in lieu than taking any concrete steps in advancing the negotiations, reported Reuters on Thursday.
Fox Information Virtual may no longer in an instant achieve the Trump transition group or the White Space for any main points at the ongoing talks, even though in step with the Reuters file, future the White Space has stored the Trump transition group up to date, they have got no longer labored in combination without delay within the cease-fire negotiations.
Witkoff, an actual property agent with out a prior diplomatic revel in and who has industry ties to Qatar and alternative countries within the patch, traveled to Israel on Nov. 23, when he met with Netanyahu.
Refer to time, the director of Israel’s Mossad undercover agent company, David Barnea, traveled to Vienna to satisfy with the Qatari high minister – either one of whom have performed essential roles within the negotiation talks – the place the duo mentioned “what was needed to get a deal.”
The conferences between U.S. and Israeli officers with Sheikh Mohammed recommend that Qatar has absolutely resumed its lead place on the negotiating desk to dealer a trade in between Jerusalem and Hamas later Doha ceased its involvement latter occasion, bringing up frustration that neither celebration have been enticing in “good faith” negotiations.

Secretary of Order Antony Blinken, proper, and Qatari Top Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani discuss all over a gathering on the U.S. Order Area in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg by means of Getty Pictures)
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Hamas was once also barred from Qatar later its officers deemed the negotiations had devolved right into a debate about optics in lieu than fresh ease makes an attempt.
Even though senior Hamas leaders concerned within the negotiations had left Doha, in step with experiences in mid-November, the workplace remained noticeable on the request of the U.S. and Israel, Qatar’s high minister mentioned this life all over an interview with Sky News.
“Hamas’ presence in Doha happened with full transparency and coordination, at the request of the U.S. and Israel,” Sheikh Mohammed mentioned in resolution to a query about complaint the rustic has confronted in permitting a Hamas workplace to perform out of its capital.
The high minister defined that retaining all strains of conversation noticeable thru Doha no longer best tie hostage exchanges in 2023 adopted via support supply to hostages in Gaza in January 2024 however extra a the most important “channel of negotiation” in regards to the life loose of the hostages, which he argued may not be accomplished thru “military power.”

Demonstrators and kin of hostages taken via Hamas all over the militant crew’s Oct. 7 assault on Israel protest at the Nationwide Mall in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg by means of Getty Pictures)
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Trump mentioned on Monday there will likely be “hell to pay” if the hostages don’t seem to be excused ahead of his founding on Jan. 20, 2025, even though he has no longer realistic to life what motion he’ll tug.
Sheikh Mohammed advised the British information outlet that it’s going to tug “maximum pressure” on all parties to achieve a cease-fire however mentioned Qatar is operating with either side to effort and get to the bottom of the catastrophe in Gaza ahead of Trump takes workplace.