Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Saturday with US President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, amid ongoing efforts to secure a Gaza ceasefire and free Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Shortly after the meeting, Netanyahu’s office announced that a high-level delegation—led by the Mossad intelligence chief—had been dispatched to Qatar to “advance” talks aimed at retrieving those abducted.
An Israeli official, speaking earlier on Saturday, indicated some progress in indirect discussions with Hamas, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. These diplomatic efforts seek to achieve a breakthrough before Trump assumes office on January 20. A proposed deal would also include the release of certain Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails.
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Families of Israeli hostages have welcomed Netanyahu’s decision, with representatives calling the forthcoming talks a “historic opportunity.” Meanwhile, Witkoff met Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Friday in Doha, where Egyptian and Qatari intermediaries reportedly received reassurances that the United States remains committed to negotiating an end to the conflict soon.
Israel launched its military campaign against Gaza in response to an October 2023 incursion by Hamas fighters, who killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. More than 46,000 people in Gaza have been killed since then, according to Palestinian health officials, leaving much of the enclave destroyed and its population displaced.