WASHINGTON — (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump's incoming Middle East envoy recently visited Israel and Qatar for high-level talks on landing a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, a U.S. official said Thursday.
Steve Witkoff, who was tapped by Trump to serve as his special envoy to the region, met separately in recent weeks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive talks and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The official added that Witkoff has kept in contact with Biden’s foreign policy team as the incoming Trump and outgoing Biden administrations have agreed to coordinate on efforts to free hostages who remain in captivity in Gaza.
The official also confirmed that there has been recent progress on ceasefire talks to end the grinding war, though there are currently no plans for Biden to dispatch senior adviser Brett McGurk back to the region. McGurk has served as the administration's chief interlocutor in the on-and-off talks.
Meanwhile, Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas' political wing, said in an interview in Turkey on Thursday that international mediators have resumed negotiating with the militant group and Israel over a ceasefire in Gaza and that he was hopeful a deal to end the 14-month war was within reach.
Reuters first reported on Witkoff's travels to the Middle East.
News of Witkoff's efforts on a ceasefire deal comes after Trump demanded earlier this week the release of hostages held by Hamas before he is sworn in to office in January.
"Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity," Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social site.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage on Oct. 7, 2023. Israeli officials believe about two-thirds of the roughly 100 hostages are still alive.
Trump transition officials did not respond to requests for comment on Witkoff’s recent Mideast visit. The State Department also declined to comment on Witkoff’s travels.
When he assumes his role as Mideast peace envoy, Witkoff is expected to operate out of the White House, much as Jared Kushner did during the first Trump administration.
Biden's and Trump's teams have previously acknowledged efforts to coordinate on the Middle East crisis.
Last month, the Biden administration officials said they kept Trump's incoming administration closely apprised of its efforts to broker the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah on the Israel-Lebanon border.
Trump’s team, meanwhile, was quick to claim credit for the Lebanon ceasefire.
"Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump," Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump's choice for his national security adviser, said in a post on X, shortly before the Israeli Cabinet signed off on the agreement. "His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won't be tolerated. I'm glad to see concrete steps towards deescalation in the Middle East."
Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, who has confirmed he has had talks with Waltz, bristled at the idea that Trump deserved credit for the long-sought deal coming together.
“I would just point out that you know you’ve done a really good thing when other people take credit for it,” Sullivan said.
Witkoff, a Florida real estate investor, is also co-chair of Trump's inaugural committee.
Witkoff was on the golf course with Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September during the second attempt on Trump's life this year.
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Associated Press writers Abby Sewell in Istanbul, Matthew Lee in Washington and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report.