US special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet senior officials from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey in Miami to press for implementation of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire. That phase envisions Israeli withdrawals, an interim authority to replace Hamas and deployment of an international stabilization force. Progress has been slow and the truce remains fragile amid accusations of violations and recent violence. High-level diplomacy continues: Netanyahu is expected to meet President Trump on December 29, while Witkoff and Jared Kushner will also hold talks with Russian officials in Miami.
US Envoy Meets Qatari, Turkish and Egyptian Officials in Miami to Push Second Phase of Gaza Ceasefire
US special envoy Steve Witkoff has been heavily involved in talks to end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine (Tobias SCHWARZ)(Tobias SCHWARZ/AFP/AFP)
US special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet senior representatives from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey in Miami on Friday to press for progress on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, a White House official told AFP.
The planned second phase would see Israeli forces withdraw from positions inside Gaza, the establishment of an interim authority to govern the Palestinian territory in place of Hamas, and deployment of an international stabilization force to help secure and administer the area.
Progress toward implementing the October agreement — brokered by Washington and regional partners — has been slow, and mediators warn the truce remains fragile as both Israel and Hamas have accused the other of violations.
Turkey said Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend the Miami talks. Axios reported that Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty would also be present.
"Turkey will continue to fight determinedly on every front to ensure that what is happening in Gaza is not forgotten, that justice is served," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech.
Axios also reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet President Trump at Mar-a-Lago on December 29 as the US pushes for a more durable settlement. In a televised address, President Trump said the Gaza truce had brought peace to the Middle East "for the first time in 3,000 years."
Despite that claim, the ceasefire remains precarious. Israeli officials said they struck and killed the head of weapons production in Hamas's military wing in Gaza last weekend — an action that reportedly prompted warnings it could jeopardize the truce.
Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner played key roles in the shuttle diplomacy that led to the October deal aimed at ending the Gaza war after Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel. The two US envoys are also engaged in separate negotiations to address Russia's invasion of Ukraine and are due to meet Russian officials in Miami over the weekend.
What To Watch: Whether attendees can agree a timeline for Israeli withdrawals, the formation of an interim authority, and the composition and mandate of an international stabilization force — and whether the ceasefire holds long enough for those steps to be implemented.
