US Mideast envoy heading to Europe for Gaza ceasefire talks

WASHINGTON

Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, is heading to Europe for "very sensitive negotiations" over a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, the White House said Wednesday.

During the visit, Witkoff "will meet with key leaders from the Middle East to discuss the ongoing ceasefire proposal to end this conflict in Gaza and to release the hostages," spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

"The president and special envoy Witkoff (have) made the administration's goals clear. We want this ceasefire to happen as soon as possible, and we want these hostages to be released," Leavitt added.

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas over the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner release deal remain ongoing in Doha, Qatar.

Leavitt did not offer further details, but Israeli media reported that Witkoff would meet with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer in Rome on Thursday. It is unclear if Witkoff will meet with other regional officials.

Hamas has repeatedly voiced its willingness to release all remaining Israeli captives in one batch in exchange for ending Israel's war and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Israel estimates that roughly 50 captives remain in the enclave, with about half of them being dead.

Israel has killed over 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since Hamas led a cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel's military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed the health system, and led to severe food shortages amid calls from Israeli Cabinet ministers to resettle the Palestinian territory.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.