Witkoff-al-Hayya meeting cancelled under Israeli pressure: Sources
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"Israel" was infuriated over US envoy Steve Witkoff's planned meeting with senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya in Ankara, discussing Gaza's future.
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Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy to the Middle East, speaks at the America Business Forum, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Miami (AP)
A meeting between US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Hamas' lead negotiator Khalil al Hayya has been cancelled, Al Mayadeen's sources reported on Wednesday.
The sources cited Israeli pressure as the reason for the cancellation of the meeting, scheduled for today in Ankara.
Israeli news site Walla reported earlier today that the Israeli security establishment was experiencing “intense anger” prior to the meeting, following reports that US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is planning to meet senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya on Wednesday in Türkiye.
The cancelled meeting in Ankara was first disclosed on Tuesday by Hani al-Dali, an analyst on Palestinian Resistance movements, in comments to Al Mayadeen. Last Friday, The New York Times also reported that Witkoff was preparing to meet al-Hayya, though it did not specify when the meeting would take place.
According to Walla, officials familiar with the work of the “operations mechanism” in Kiryat Gat said the meeting would amount to a recognition of Hamas’ standing and would complicate "Israel’s" efforts to move forward in negotiations with the group.
The report noted that the discussion was expected to focus on the “day after” in Gaza and was likely to draw criticism.
Meeting could lead to Phase B of negotiations
Israeli sources cited by the site argued that the meeting could impact talks on shifting from Phase A to Phase B of the current negotiation framework, particularly as "Israel" opposes entering Phase B without the return of all captive bodies, the disarmament of Gaza, and the end of Hamas’ rule.
Earlier, political sources in "Israel" had already voiced concern about what they described as growing “proximity” between the US envoy and Hamas amid reports of the anticipated meeting with al-Hayya.
The meeting is not without precedent. Witkoff and al-Hayya previously met in October in Sharm el-Sheikh, shortly before the ceasefire agreement was signed. Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, also attended the meeting.
In an interview aired last month on the program 60 Minutes, Witkoff revealed that he had offered condolences to al-Hayya over the killing of his son in September, when Israeli warplanes launched missiles at a compound in Qatar where Hamas officials had convened.
