Gaza Crisis: 'Fastest' Fix Is Hamas Surrender, Says Trump; US Envoy Meets Netanyahu Before Visit To War-Torn Strip
US envoy Witkoff met Netanyahu to revive Gaza truce talks amid a humanitarian crisis.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, reports news agency Reuters. The meeting took place in a bid to salvage the Gaza truce talks and tackle a humanitarian crisis in the enclave, where a global hunger monitor has warned that famine is unfolding.
After the arrival of Witkoff, US President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social network: "The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!"
According to the report, in Washington's latest apparent diplomatic shift backing Israel against the Palestinians and diverging from its European allies, the State Department announced sanctions on officials of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, saying the groups were undermining peace efforts.
The rivals of the Hamas fighters that control Gaza, the PA, and the PLO are internationally accepted as the representatives of the Palestinian people and administrators of a Palestinian state that France, Britain, and Canada have said in recent days they could soon recognise as independent.
News agency Reuters reported that a spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The full impact of the U.S. move was not immediately clear: the State Department said targeted individuals would be barred from travelling to the United States but did not identify those targeted.
Earlier on Thursday, two senior Israeli cabinet ministers, Defence Minister Israel Katz and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, voiced support for annexing the West Bank, Israeli-occupied territory where the Palestinians hope to build their state.
"At this very moment, there is a moment of opportunity that must not be missed," they wrote. Palestinians say annexation would foreclose the prospect of a two-state solution and terminate any peace process.
The indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha ended in a deadlock last week, with both sides trading blame for the impasse and gaps lingering over issues including the extent of an Israeli military withdrawal.
On Wednesday, Israel sent a response to Hamas’ latest amendments to the US proposal that would see a 60-day ceasefire and the release of some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a source familiar with the details said, reports Reuters. However, there was no immediate comment from Hamas.
Top Headlines
