President Donald Trump stated on Monday that there are no assurances the Gaza ceasefire will remain intact, though his special envoy noted that it is currently holding. Trump and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff addressed these points during a press briefing at the White House.
During the event, Trump finalized the formal appointment of Witkoff as his envoy to the region. “He does great work,” the president remarked, but emphasized that the situation remains uncertain. “It’s complicated,” he commented.
When questioned about whether Israel intends to annex the West Bank, Trump did not provide a direct response. Instead, he illustrated to the reporters how geographically small Israel is in the broader Middle Eastern context. “It’s amazing that they were able to do what they were able to do,” he said. “But it’s a very small piece of land.”
Trump’s remarks came ahead of his scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Tuesday at the White House. This meeting coincides with preparations for the next stage of negotiations concerning the ceasefire agreement. Reports indicated that Netanyahu had not sent a delegation to the talks and was contemplating replacing Mossad chief David Barnea as the lead negotiator. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer was being considered as a potential successor for the role.
As part of these developments, Netanyahu is set to meet with Witkoff to initiate discussions on the second phase of the ceasefire plan. Witkoff is also scheduled to engage with officials from Qatar and Egypt later in the week to further the diplomatic efforts.
“For example, leaving the Philadelphi Corridor is a red line for me,” stated Bezalel Smotrich at the start of a Religious Zionism faction meeting.
Smotrich, who has threatened to topple Netanyahu’s government if the IDF does not renew its military operations in Gaza, declared that the war must continue until Hamas is entirely defeated.
{Matzav.com}