Trump vowed to unleash hell in Gaza. His Mideast envoy insists the ceasefire will move forward
Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that Israel and mediators have agreed to kick off talks on a permanent ceasefire in Gaza as Netanyahu faces pressure to resume fighting
Steve Witkoff, U.S Special Envoy to the Middle East, on Feb. 3. Photo by Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
By Jacob Kornbluh February 16, 2025
Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, said on Sunday that Israel and the mediators have agreed to advance to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which could lead to a withdrawal of the Israeli Defense Forces from the enclave and the release of all the remaining hostages.
“Phase two is a little bit more complicated than phase one, but phase two is absolutely going to begin,” Witkoff said in an interview on the Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures program. “We had very, very productive and constructive calls this morning about the sequencing of phase two.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister informed Witkoff that he will convene the security cabinet on Monday “to discuss the second stage of the agreement.”
Netanyahu is facing pressure from his conservative and far-right coalition partners to resume fighting in Gaza, a renewed push strengthened by Trump’s ultimatum last week demanding Hamas release all hostages by Saturday or “let all hell break out.” On Saturday morning, the terror group released just three hostages, including American citizen Sagui Dekel-Chen — an initial step under the terms of the deal brokered by the Biden administration with Trump’s backing.
Netanyahu said on Sunday — following a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio — that he and the president are aligned, despite his decision not to follow Trump’s call to immediately resume military operations against Hamas. “President Trump and I are working in full cooperation and coordination,” Netanyahu said. “We can’t always share in details of this strategy with the public, including when the gates of hell will be opened — as they surely will — if all our hostages are not released, until the last one of them.”
Trump told reporters Sunday evening that he has given Israel the green light to determine its next steps “in consultation” with his administration. “I told Bibi, do whatever you want,” he said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
Trump on Gaza ceasefire phase 2 talks:
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) February 16, 2025
“I told Bibi, you do whatever you want…
“That will be up to Israel what the next step is, in consultation with me.” https://t.co/pEIR4dw03h pic.twitter.com/dDxcYEdgVm
Witkoff, who is set to travel to Saudi Arabia as part of a national security delegation to kick off ceasefire talks on the Russia-Ukraine war, said that Israeli and Hamas representatives will meet this week with their Qatari and Egyptian counterparts “at a location to be determined” to outline their positions so the mediators “can figure out how we get to the end of phase two successfully.”
He also defended Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza as needed given the “utter destruction” in Gaza. “There are 30,000 unexploded shells throughout Gaza and the buildings are all down,” Witkoff said, explaining it would be unsafe for Palestinians to live there now. “But the devil will be in the details.” Witkoff added that beyond Egypt and Jordan, other countries have voluntarily offered to assist in the large-scale humanitarian relocation effort, but did not name the countries.
Speaking alongside Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Rubio called Trump’s post-war plan “bold,” praising it as a vision that “took courage” to promote. “It may have shocked and surprised many, but what cannot continue is the same cycle where we repeat over and over again and wind up in the exact same place,” he said. “Hamas cannot continue as a military or government force. And frankly, as long as it stands as a force that can govern or a force that can administer or a force that can threaten by use of violence, peace becomes impossible.”
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