President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has initiated high-level diplomatic efforts in Qatar and Israel to secure a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages before Trump takes office on January 20, 2025. According to a source familiar with the talks who spoke to Reuters, Witkoff met separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in late November.

The meetings signal Qatar’s reentry as a key mediator after suspending its role last month, citing a lack of progress in indirect talks between Israel and Hamas. Qatar, alongside the U.S. and Egypt, had previously facilitated discussions that failed to achieve a lasting ceasefire or the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

A U.S. official confirmed Trump’s team has engaged with Middle East leaders, expressing strong support for a ceasefire deal. “They are supportive of a Gaza ceasefire deal,” the official told Reuters. Trump warned earlier this week of “hell to pay” if hostages are not released before his inauguration.

Witkoff, a real estate investor with business ties in the Gulf region but no prior diplomatic experience, met Sheikh Mohammed in Doha on November 22. Both agreed that resolving the Gaza conflict before Trump assumes office would pave the way for broader regional stabilization efforts.

The following day, Witkoff met with Netanyahu in Israel, where he also spoke with families of Israeli hostages. An Israeli official confirmed the discussions focused on the Trump team’s efforts to broker a deal before the inauguration.

Sheikh Mohammed subsequently traveled to Vienna on November 24 to meet with David Barnea, the director of Israel’s Mossad, who has led Israel’s negotiations with Qatar over the past year. According to the source, plans for renewed indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha are in motion, though a specific date has not been set.

Qatar’s foreign ministry and Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump’s transition team has similarly remained silent on Witkoff’s diplomatic outreach. However, the meetings underscore Trump’s intent to address the Gaza crisis swiftly as part of his incoming administration’s Middle East agenda.

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