Steve Witkoff, the White House Special Envoy to the Middle East, spoke on Fox News Thursday regarding the ongoing situation surrounding the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. He discussed the conclusion of the first phase of the deal and previewed his upcoming visit to the region next week.
According to Witkoff, “Phase one itself was an accomplishment, and it wouldn’t have happened if not for Donald Trump’s election, there’s no doubt about that. The discussions were languishing, they’d been going on for the better part of a year. His election and motto of ‘peace through strength,’ resonate in the region and that’s what jump-started everything.”
He voiced his anger over the killings of Ariel and Kfir Bibas, describing their deaths as “intolerable” and shared his personal grief after meeting their family: “I’ve met the family, they’re devastated to find out that their loved ones have died and the way that they died, it’s a horrible conclusion to it all.”
When asked whether President Trump plans to intensify the situation, Witkoff made clear the President’s stance: “I would tell you that he’s intolerant to terrorists, that’s a fact. He’s got a red line with regard to people who do heinous things like this. So if the question is if he’s intolerant? Then the answer is for sure he is.”
Witkoff also clarified the President’s position on Hamas: “The President’s direction is we need to find a solution for this. There’s no room for Hamas in Gaza, in the West Bank. You can see from their actions that they haven’t earned that right to be there. That’s the President’s position, and we follow that direction.”
{Matzav.com}