US envoy Witkoff expects ‘breakthrough’ in talks over Gaza future after meeting with Arab leaders

U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said he expects a “breakthrough” in the negotiations about a plan to bring about the end of the war in Gaza and for a new administration that would take over governance from Hamas.

Witkoff’s comments came after he and U.S. President Donald Trump presented the outline of their plan to representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan, at a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City.

“We presented what we call the Trump 21-point plan for peace in the Mideast and Gaza,” Witkoff said.

“I think it addresses Israeli concerns as well as the concerns of all the neighbors in the region.”

“We’re hopeful, and I might say even confident, that in the coming days we’ll be able to announce some sort of breakthrough,” emphasized Witkoff.

On Thursday morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boarded a plane headed for New York. He is set to speak at the General Assembly and discuss the Gaza War, including the new plan, with President Trump.

Senior Israeli officials told Channel 12 that they don’t expect Trump to “force a proposal on Israel that it doesn’t believe in.”

According to the report, the plan is currently being seen as a framework for the “Day After” in Gaza, meaning it would not immediately impact Israel’s military operations in the enclave.

However, French President Emmanuel Macron told France 24 and Radio France Internationale that he expects the American plan to include elements from his own roadmap, which calls on Israel to stop the fighting.

“The United States is now going to absorb that, so to speak,” Macron said. “I think that if we can align everyone – the United States, the Arabs, the Europeans – around this peace plan, we can have a result.”

The French outline envisions the dismantling of Hamas and the creation of an international force that would take over security and governance for an interim period.

A report by the Lebanese site Elnashra provided some more details. Citing a “Western source,” it said the plan includes a 20-day ceasefire followed by the return of an unspecified number of Israeli hostages. 

The U.S. and Israel have repeatedly rejected any “partial” deal that doesn’t require Hamas to return all hostages at once.

The report by Elnashra added that the interim administration would be made up of Muslim countries, while a new Palestinian government without the involvement of Hamas is being built.

Other sources told the website that the leaders expressed their tentative support for the idea to Trump, but are waiting for responses by Hamas and Israel.

The UAE’s state news agency WAM reported the release of all hostages and steps against the humanitarian crisis were the main points of the meeting.

On Wednesday evening, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a joint statement on behalf of the leaders who participated in the meeting with Trump.

The statement said that the leaders emphasized the need for an immediate end to the war, arguing that a ceasefire was needed to allow for the release of the hostages and enable the entry of humanitarian aid as first steps toward peace.

They also reiterated their opposition to any forced displacement, rejecting Trump’s plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, while expressing support for the efforts to reform the Palestinian Authority.

The leaders stressed the need for a comprehensive plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and security arrangements, and international support for the Palestinian leadership.

The statement concluded by calling for the maintenance of momentum to ensure that the meeting with Trump marks the start of a path toward regional peace and stability.