Witkoff said to postpone Israel visit amid efforts to stop Russia-Ukraine war

U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is postponing his visit to Israel for “several days,” Walla reported Tuesday, citing a source in Washington.

The decision to delay the trip, which was scheduled for Wednesday, was taken amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s increasing diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Witkoff is involved in the talks with Russia. (JNS sought comment from the White House and U.S. State Department.)

Witkoff told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday that he planned to return to the region later this week, “probably Wednesday,” for talks on extending the current first phase of the Israel-Hamas truce deal in the Gaza Strip.

“We have to get an extension of Phase 1,” he said on the cable-news channel’s State of the Union program. “We’re hopeful that we have the proper time” he added, “to begin Phase 2 and finish it off and get more hostages released.”

The first 42-day phase of the Gaza truce is expected to end on March 1.

Witkoff said during the interview that he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “well-motivated” to see the ceasefire continue.

“He wants to see hostages released, that’s for sure. He also wants to protect the State of Israel, and so he’s got a red line,” Witkoff said. “He said what the red line is, and that is that Hamas cannot be involved in a governing body when this thing is resolved.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told reporters on Feb. 18 that the Israeli Cabinet has decided to start talks on Phase 2 of the ceasefire.

As part of the talks, Jerusalem will demand the complete disarmament of Hamas and other terrorist organizations in the Strip, Sa’ar said.

Israel will reportedly also demand the release of all hostages, as well as the expulsion of the Hamas leadership from Gaza and the dismantling of its terrorist army. Israel believes that Hamas is likely to reject these demands.

“At this point, for sure, they can’t be any part of governance in Gaza,” Witkoff told CNN, of Hamas. “As to existing, I’d leave that detail to the prime minister.”

According to official Israeli estimates, 63 hostages remain in captivity in the Strip more than 500 days after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, only 27 of whom are believed to be alive.

©JNS