Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is anticipated to meet with Israeli and Qatari officials in Rome on Thursday as part of the U.S. efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Hamas and Israel are participating in indirect negotiations aimed at ending the conflict that has persisted for nearly two years. However, Witkoff’s travel plans depend upon the progress achieved in these discussions. If enough progress is made in Rome, Witkoff will reportedly head to Doha to finalize the agreement, according to Axios.
The outlet also reported that sources indicated the meeting in Rome could suggest that a deal is near — possibly just days away.
Earlier this month, Israel agreed to a 60-day ceasefire proposal backed by the U.S., which aims to bring the conflict to an end. This agreement entails a phased release of hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from certain areas of Gaza, and discussions on resolving the conflict, as reported by Reuters.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Israeli and Qatari officials in Rome on Thursday to secure a deal to end the war in Gaza. (Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu/Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
If Trump can secure an end to the war, it could mean an expansion of the Abraham Accords, one of the signature efforts of Trump’s first administration, which saw Israel sign normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. However, Trump has yet to detail which countries would be added.
Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar said on June 30 that Israel was “serious” about seeking an end to the conflict. He added that Jerusalem has an interest in “countries, such as Syria and Lebanon, our neighbors, to the circle of peace and normalization.”
