Trump's envoy says Gaza deal going well, implementation must resume
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Steve Witkoff says the Gaza ceasefire agreement must continue to be implemented while discussing the Strip's reconstruction and Saudi-Israeli normalization.
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Hamas fighters are greeted as they arrive in pick-up trucks at the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza City, Thursday Jan. 30, 2025 (AP)
US President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, stated that the prisoner exchange deal in Gaza is progressing well and should continue to be implemented.
In an interview with the Israeli website Walla!, Witkoff said, "I have informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli officials that the prisoner exchange deal and the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are advancing well and must continue to be implemented."
Negotiations for the second phase of the prisoner exchange deal and ceasefire are expected to begin next Monday, while Netanyahu is set to meet with Trump at the White House, according to the Israeli website.
Meanwhile, "Israel's" Coordinator for Prisoners and Missing Persons, Gal Hirsch, stated that "after the hostages were received on Thursday, the meeting between Netanyahu and Trump will be extremely important to ensure the success of negotiations for the second phase of the deal."
Phase two of negotiations
Walla! indicated that Witkoff met during his visit to "Israel" with the released captives from last week, as well as with the families of those still in Gaza, informing them that President Trump is committed to bringing them back.
Witkoff also met with Netanyahu and several other ministers, including those who voted against the deal, such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
The envoy stated that "the meetings were positive," calling for "the first phase to be completed and implemented correctly in order to move forward to the next phase of negotiations, which will begin next week."
'Nothing is left in Gaza'
Moreover, after a helicopter flight over the Gaza Strip, Witkoff said that the destruction was immense, saying, "Nothing is left in the sector. People have no water or electricity, yet they are returning to the north despite the devastation," considering Gaza to be "uninhabitable."
Witkoff, who is a real estate businessman, believes that demolishing and removing construction debris in Gaza will take five years, while its reconstruction will require a plan spanning 10 to 15 years.
The Financial Times on Tuesday reported that US President Donald Trump is pressuring Egypt and Jordan to accept displaced Palestinians from Gaza, suggesting the US could use financial aid as leverage. The proposal has triggered a backlash from Palestinians and Arab leaders, who view it as undermining Palestinian statehood ambitions.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had spoken with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi about resettling Gazans. "I wish he would take some. We helped them a lot, and I'm sure he'd help us," Trump said. "He's a friend of mine. He's in a very rough part of the world, to be honest. As they say, it's a rough neighborhood. But I think he would do it, and I think the King of Jordan would do it too."
Egypt denied such a conversation occurred, and both Cairo and Amman have firmly rejected the proposal, arguing it threatens Palestinian statehood and poses domestic risks.
On Saudi normalization
Witkoff described his visit to Riyadh and his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as very positive. He stated that "Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is pleased with the ceasefire and the prisoner exchange deal and feels that we have made progress toward achieving peace in the Gaza Strip."
According to the Israeli website, Witkoff briefed bin Salman on the Trump administration’s plan for Gaza, revealing that the meeting generally touched on the issue of normalization with "Israel" but did not discuss it in depth.
"Israel" is "closer than ever" to establishing normalized relations with #SaudiArabia, according to its newly appointed ambassador to the #US, who spoke exclusively with The Jerusalem Post.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 29, 2025
Ambassador Yechiel Leiter described the potential breakthrough as a "game changer" for… pic.twitter.com/NKqvYgcvAC
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