Steven Witkoff, appointed by US President-elect Donald Trump as special envoy to the Middle East, has initiated diplomatic discussions aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and securing the release of Israeli captives, The Financial Times reported on Friday.

Witkoff met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, a key mediator in negotiations for a ceasefire, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to two sources familiar with the talks.

The Financial Times revealed that Witkoff held discussions with the Qatari prime minister last month to address the ongoing war.

On November 23, Witkoff traveled to occupied Palestine to meet with Netanyahu. This meeting was confirmed by both an Israeli official and a former Trump administration official, as well as a diplomat briefed on the conversation.

Meanwhile, Mossad head David Barnea, "Israel's" chief negotiator, reportedly met with the Qatari prime minister in Vienna on November 24 to further discuss the situation.

According to reports, Witkoff's talks focused on securing a ceasefire and the release of remaining captives before Trump's inauguration.

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According to the FT, a diplomat stated that Witkoff was working to secure a ceasefire before Trump's inauguration, allowing the administration to focus on other priorities, such as regional stabilization, once in office.

President-elect Trump, talking about the captives in Gaza, warned earlier this week that "There will be all hell to pay in the Middle East" unless they were released before his January 20 inauguration.

Read more: Hamas leader responds to Trump's threats: Ask Netanyahu

Trump's 'running things' in US

Despite his inauguration being more than a month away, Trump is already asserting significant influence on US domestic and foreign policies.

NBC News reported on Friday that Trump is "already basically running things, and he's not even president yet," quoting a former senior White House official from Trump's first term.

The report highlighted Trump's active engagement in major issues, including his stance on imposing high tariffs on Mexico and Canada and his firm position on the Gaza hostage crisis.

"His [Trump's] view is that he's not going to follow rules that he thinks are stupid rules," the NBC report cited an unnamed official as saying.