Witkoff and Kushner to Join Israel-Hamas Peace Talks in Egypt

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Egypt to join ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

President Donald Trump expressed optimism about the progress of the talks, stating, "I think we're doing very well," and noting that Hamas is "agreeing to things that are very important," without providing further details.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced that Mr. Witkoff intends to arrive in Egypt shortly to participate in the discussions. Alongside Mr. Witkoff, Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and former Middle East adviser, is also expected to join the negotiations, according to officials familiar with their plans.

Both Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner were instrumental in developing President Trump's 20-point plan to end the war, and their involvement in the talks is seen as a positive sign of progress.

The negotiations, which began in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, are taking place a week after President Trump presented his Gaza peace plan. Last Friday, Hamas issued a statement expressing readiness to work with the plan to release all remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office indicated that Israel is preparing for the release of hostages.

Hamas's statement mentioned that "field conditions" would need to be in place in Gaza to carry out a hostage exchange, without specifying what those conditions entail.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the Trump administration is working diligently to advance the negotiations, emphasizing that the president seeks a cease-fire and the release of hostages.

President Trump unveiled his proposal on September 29 during a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House. At that time, Mr. Netanyahu expressed support for the plan, stating it "achieves our war aims."

While Hamas has shown willingness to free the hostages, it has not endorsed other aspects of President Trump's plan, such as the demilitarization of Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu has maintained that Israel will not agree to end the war unless Hamas disarms.

The talks coincide with the two-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, and the abduction of 251 individuals, according to Israeli authorities. Since then, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war in Gaza, according to the Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.