Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, said on Wednesday that he welcomed the potential for “a dialogue” with Hamas and heaped praise on Qatar for helping facilitate the cease-fire deal between Israel and Gaza, despite facing scrutiny for previous ties to the Gulf nation.

President Trump’s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff appeared on Fox News Wednesday, where the host, Dana Perino, read him a quote from a senior Hamas official who told the NY Times, “We are prepared for a dialogue with America in achieving understandings on everything.”

The president, after signing a series of executive orders, said he hopes to avoid military action against Iran

Envoy Steve Witkoff, carrying a message from Donald Trump, broke through the impasse in long-futile cease-fire talks.

"It is striking that Israel was not mentioned in the president's inauguration speech," a senior Hamas official told Newsweek.

( JTA) — Family members of Israelis held hostage in Gaza appeared onstage with President Donald Trump during a post-inauguration rally in Washington, D.C., on Monday. They were joined by Noa Argamani, a former hostage who was freed by the Israeli army in June.

A senior Republican congressional staffer accused presidential envoy Steve Witkoff of "lifting pressure on Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran."

President to take initial stab at diplomatic efforts with Tehran before seeking to escalate pressure, anonymous source tells Financial Times - Anadolu Ajansı

The battlefield in Gaza also is changing. The first phase of the ceasefire allows Gaza’s nearly 2 million displaced people to leave crowded tent camps and return to what remains of their homes. This will allow Hamas to regroup in the midst of masses of civilians.

Described by The Economist as ‘the world’s most important prisoner’; by The Guardian as ‘the most popular Palestinian leader alive; and by multiple news organisations as the ‘Palestinian Mandela’, Marwan Barghouti appears to be favoured by the majority of Palestinians as the man they want as their elected leader.

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