Witkoff heads to Mideast to negotiate next phase of ceasefire
Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, said that he’d be going to the region this week to negotiate the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire as the first phase nears its end.
“We do expect it, Jake, to go forward. We have to get an extension of phase one, and so I'll be going into the region this week, probably Wednesday, to negotiate that,” Witkoff told Jake Tapper during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“And we're hopeful that we have the proper time to finish off, to begin Phase 2, and finish it off and get more hostages released, and move the discussion forward.”

Witkoff was asked if he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to move forward with the ceasefire, or, on the contrary, if he wants to resume the war to try to eliminate Hamas.
“I believe the prime minister is well-motivated. He wants to see hostages released, that's for sure. He also wants to protect the state of Israel, and so he's got a red line,” Witkoff said. “And he said what the red line is, and that is that Hamas cannot be involved in a governing body when this thing is resolved. And so I think he's trying to square the circle on both of those thing.”
-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh