Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's special Middle East envoy, landed in Tel Aviv on a direct private flight from Saudi Arabia on Wednesday afternoon, according to reports in Israeli media.
Witkoff is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials in Jerusalem to discuss the implementation of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
As part of his visit, the U.S. envoy is reportedly scheduled to travel to the Netzarim Corridor, which divides northern from southern Gaza. Witkoff has also requested to meet with the seven Israeli hostages who have been released by Hamas since the ceasefire went into effect on Jan. 19, reports said.
Witkoff traveled to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to Axios, which cited a U.S. official. In Riyadh, WItkoff was said to have discussed advancing an agreement to normalize ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Witkoff on Sunday described the agreement he helped broker between Israel and Hamas as "the most worthy thing I could ever do in my life."
Speaking alongside Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the official opening of the Altneu Synagogue in New York, Witkoff said he would be visiting Israel to ensure that the deal was implemented "in a correct way."
"Hopefully, we'll get to phase two as well, and we'll get everybody out who is alive, back to their families, and bodies, because there are many families who are waiting for the bodies of their children. They can't bury them," he added. "So we've got to get those bodies out too, and that's just as important."
Republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate