WASHINGTON () White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is prepared to travel to Qatar for ceasefire negotiations if talks in Europe this week show sufficient progress, according to White House sources.
Witkoff had previously indicated he would not return to the Middle East until Israel and Hamas were close to reaching a peace agreement. However, sources told that the special envoy is ready to fly to Doha if his European meetings advance ceasefire discussions.
The development comes as the Gaza conflict approaches 700 days, with a proposal currently on the table that would secure the release of 10 living hostages and 18 dead hostages in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire. Hamas has not yet officially responded to the latest proposal presented last week.
Witkoff is traveling to Europe this week to discuss a range of issues, including Gaza and the push for a ceasefire, but they had no details about Middle East stops and did not share where specifically Witkoff would travel to and when.
The officials were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told ’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” she was optimistic about the negotiations during a briefing, saying Secretary of State Marco Rubio sees “great potential” in the current talks.
Bruce noted that President Donald Trump’s team has been working around the clock on the issue. “We’ve got great people working on this 24/7. It has been a hallmark of the president’s agenda,” Bruce said.
The negotiations take on added urgency following Sunday’s deadly incident in Gaza, where nearly 100 Palestinians were reportedly killed after the Israel Defense Forces opened fire during a food distribution. The IDF said Hamas militants were attempting to hijack aid trucks.
Bruce defended Israel’s actions, saying that Hamas typically “loots and weaponizes food aid” to control Gaza’s population and fund weapons purchases. She said the Global Health Foundation has distributed over 80 million meals in the region.
Twenty-five nations called on Israel to end the war Monday, adding to mounting international pressure for a resolution to the conflict.
Hamas negotiator Adam Boehler warned that Hamas needs to “take the deal now,” with some sources suggesting Hamas could respond to the proposal as early as Tuesday night.
