US President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, amid efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. The meeting follows Witkoff’s visit to Doha, where he met Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Netanyahu dispatched a high-level delegation to Qatar to advance talks with Hamas, the Palestinian militant group holding Israeli hostages in Gaza. Earlier on Saturday, an Israeli official stated that some progress had been made in indirect talks between Israel and Hamas.
The mediators aim to reach a deal to halt fighting in Gaza and free remaining Israeli hostages before Trump takes office on January 20. The deal would also involve the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Families of Israeli hostages welcomed Netanyahu’s decision, describing it as “a historic opportunity.”
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trumps-mideast-envoy-meet-netanyahu-saturday-israeli-official-says-2025-01-11