Witkoff told Fox News that Trump will lead a “large meeting” at the White House and that the administration is assembling “a very comprehensive plan” for Gaza “on the next day.”
He did not elaborate or list participants. He added, “We think that we’re going to settle this one way or another, certainly before the end of this year,” and said Israel and Hamas were open to continued discussions.
Separately, the State Department said Rubio will meet Saar at 3:15 p.m. ET (1915 GMT) on Wednesday at the department.
Trump campaigned on ending the Gaza war swiftly, and repeated that pledge after taking office in January. Nearly seven months into his term, that goal remains out of reach. His tenure began with a two-month ceasefire that ended on March 18, when Israeli strikes killed around 400 Palestinians.
In recent weeks, images of starving children and other civilians in Gaza have intensified criticism of Israel over deteriorating conditions.
U.S. ally Israel’s assault on Gaza since October 2023 has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and has triggered a hunger crisis, displaced the territory’s entire population, and led to genocide and war-crimes accusations at international courts that Israel denies.
The latest bloodshed stems from Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and seized about 250 hostages, Israeli tallies show.
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Source: Reuters, The Guardian