Trump Envoy Witkoff Heads to Middle East to Negotiate Gaza Truce Extension

(Patria) - President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to the Middle East this week, he said on Sunday, to advocate for the extension of the fragile Gaza truce between Israel and Hamas, Reuters reported.

A three-stage ceasefire that took effect on January 19 is now nearing the end of its first phase. It has largely held despite accusations of violations from both sides and a series of failures, the latest of which came over the weekend.

"We need to extend the first phase. I will go to the region this week, probably on Wednesday, to negotiate that and hopefully we will have the right time to start the second phase and finish it and release more hostages," Witkoff told CNN.

The first phase of the truce includes an agreement to exchange 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners held by Israel. The second phase would involve the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of about 60 remaining hostages.

The ceasefire deal hit a new snag on Saturday when Israel postponed the release of 602 Palestinians from its prisons in exchange for six Israeli hostages who were paraded by armed militants in front of a crowd in Gaza before being handed over to the Red Cross.

The public handover ceremonies organized by Hamas, which included the display of live hostages and coffins containing the remains of hostages, have drawn increasing criticism in recent weeks, including from the United Nations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel was waiting to deliver Palestinian prisoners "until the release of the next hostages is secured, and without humiliating ceremonies".

Hamas said on Sunday that the ceremonies were dignified and that Israel was using them as an excuse to avoid its obligations under the truce. Hamas is expected to hand over the bodies of four more hostages this week. The latest bloodshed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's latest military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, leading to accusations of war crimes that Israel denies. Almost the entire population of Gaza has been internally displaced and famine has been caused.