Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer arrived in the US and met with President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, a source familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday evening.
According to the souce, Witkoff has also spoken with the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
Dermer was appointed to lead the Israeli delegation’s negotiations over the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal this week.
Witkoff said that phase two of the ceasefire deal is more difficult “but has a change of success” while noting that progress is being made in talks, a source told The Jerusalem Post.
“It’s hard to square the circle,” Witkoff said of Hamas’ demand to stop the war and Israel’s demand that Hamas not be part of the government in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas has already made clear that in exchange for the rest of the hostages, it is holding as part of phase two, it demands an end to the war.
Israeli officials have insisted, however, that they will not agree to end the fighting as long as Hamas remains in Gaza in any form. “This is not going to be easy,” a diplomat familiar with the negotiations told the Post.
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