Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Middle East envoy, believes the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal marks an “inflection point” for normalization in the Middle East. Witkoff, a former real estate tycoon, was instrumental in brokering the deal, which has seen the release of three female hostages so far. He credits Qatar and the UAE for their roles in the negotiations and believes that Egypt was also helpful.
Witkoff sees the deal as an opportunity to get “everyone” in the region on board with a better future, including more opportunity and hope. He will be traveling to Israel to work on the implementation of the ceasefire, which he believes will be more challenging than its execution.
Despite the deal being signed, President Trump expressed doubt about its longevity, stating that he is “not confident” it will hold. Witkoff agrees that the implementation will be difficult, but is optimistic about the potential for further hostage releases if the deal is successful.
The next phase of the deal is expected to see more releases, although Trump has expressed skepticism about the ceasefire’s ability to last. Witkoff will be part of an inspection team in the Netzarim and Philadelphi corridors to ensure the safe passage of people and goods.