US Special Envoy Witkoff Meets With Netanyahu in Israel

U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on Thursday to hold further peace talks and discuss the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has confirmed.

Witkoff will be headed to Gaza on Friday “to inspect the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation,” Leavitt said on Thursday. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will be joining Witkoff.

“On the ground, the special envoy and the ambassador will brief the president immediately after their visit to approve a final plan for food and aid distribution into the region,” Leavitt said.

Netanyahu shared pictures on X of him greeting Witkoff. It was the first meeting between the two men since Israel and the United States recalled their negotiating teams last week after indirect talks held in Qatar with the terrorist group Hamas ended in deadlock.

Witkoff said in a statement at the time that Hamas was acting in bad faith and that its latest response “clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”

After Witkoff’s arrival, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, “The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!”

Over the weekend, the Israeli military announced measures to improve the flow of international humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, including the resumption of aid air drops and establishing designated corridors for U.N. humanitarian aid convoys to travel overland.

Israel faces increasing international pressure over the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, with several Western nations saying they will recognize Palestinian statehood.

The meeting comes the same day that the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on Palestinian Authority officials and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization. The State Department said the organizations had violated agreements not to undermine the peace process and accused them of continuing to support terrorism.

Germany’s Wadephul Travels to Israel

Also on Thursday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul traveled to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

In a statement Thursday prior to his departure, Wadephul acknowledged that Hamas is still holding hostages captive and, despite efforts, “is not prepared to enter into a ceasefire.”

At the same time, he said that the suffering in the Gaza Strip “has reached unfathomable dimensions” and that there was now a rising number of countries prepared to recognize Palestinian statehood.

A German government spokesperson told reporters last week that there were “no plans” to recognize a Palestinian state “in the short term,” and that declaration would only come as one of the final steps in a two-state solution.

Wadephul made similar remarks on Thursday; however, he added that “such a process must now begin.”

“Germany will not deviate from this goal. And Germany will be forced to react to any unilateral steps,” he said.

In the past week, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada have signaled that they would recognize a Palestinian state—with conditions—at the next U.N. General Assembly meeting in September.

‘Rewards Terror’

On July 24, following France’s announcement, Netanyahu said that recognizing a Palestinian state “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.”

He wrote on X: “A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X on July 25 that the United States “strongly rejects” France’s plans, calling it a “reckless decision” that “only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.”

On Thursday, Trump said it would be “very hard” to make a trade deal if Canada recognizes a Palestinian state.

Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people in southern Israel and kidnapping 251 others. According to the Israeli government website, 49 of those who were abducted that day are still being held in captivity. An additional hostage is still being held in Gaza, who has been held since 2014.

The Gaza Strip’s Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health reported that more than 60,000 people have been killed since the start of Israel’s offensive in October 2023. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in these casualty figures, and The Epoch Times cannot verify their accuracy.

Throughout the conflict, Israel has said that it tries to avoid harming the civilian population and only targets Hamas terrorists.

Reuters, The Associated Press, and Ryan Morgan contributed to this report.