WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Wednesday hosted a major meeting at the White House to discuss a comprehensive plan for Gaza’s future, as Israeli forces prepare to seize Gaza City, which Israel considers the last remaining stronghold of Hamas terrorists.
“President Trump has been clear that he wants the war to end, and he wants peace and prosperity for everyone in the region,” a White House official told The Epoch Times before the meeting.
The White House did not offer details about the meeting.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also met his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, on Aug. 27 at the State Department.
He said the president would chair “a large meeting” that would feature “a very comprehensive plan” for what comes next after the war. He did not offer details about who would attend the meeting, but noted that the plan would be well-intentioned and reflective of Trump’s “humanitarian motives.”
The meeting was not listed on the president’s public schedule for Aug. 27.
During a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Aug. 26, Trump said he wanted to see the release of 20 remaining hostages held by Hamas.
“We have 20, but there’s rumors that some could be dead. It’s a terrible situation over there,” Trump said. “There’s nothing conclusive, but hopefully we’re going to have things solved very quickly—with regard to Gaza.”
According to Witkoff, Hamas is the only side preventing the war from ending.
“There’s been a deal on the table for the last six or seven weeks that would have released 10 of the hostages out of the 20 who we think are alive. And it was Hamas who slow-played that process,” he said. “And it is Hamas now who’s saying, ‘We accept that deal,’ and I think in large part they’re saying that and changing their mind because the Israelis are putting some very intense pressure on them.”
However, Witkoff expressed optimism that the war would be resolved soon.
“We think that we’re going to settle this one way or another—certainly before the end of this year” he said.
He noted that Hamas has signaled openness to a settlement, while Israel announced $600 million in aid for Gaza and expressed willingness to continue talks with Hamas.
On Aug. 21, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave final approval for the Israel Defense Forces’ plan to seize Gaza City, located in the northern Gaza Strip.
He also authorized renewed negotiations to free all Israeli hostages and end the conflict in Gaza, following several days of Cabinet deliberations on the proposal.
Hamas terrorists took some 251 people as hostages during their deadly attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and dozens of those hostages remain in captivity, along with the remains of others killed in the course of the nearly two-year conflict.
The Israeli military urged Palestinians on Aug. 27 to evacuate the region.
He said the Israeli army has begun working on distributing tents and humanitarian aid.
On Aug. 25, the Israeli military also said a series of strikes it conducted on a hospital in Gaza that killed rescue workers, medics, and journalists was intended to target a camera it believes was being remotely operated by Hamas.
