US envoy Witkoff, Kushner join Gaza ceasefire talks in Egypt

CAIRO (MNTV) – US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner arrived in Egypt on Wednesday to join efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli media reported.

Channel 12 said the two reached Sharm El-Sheikh, where Hamas and Israel are holding indirect negotiations aimed at securing a truce and a prisoner exchange under Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan. Neither Washington nor Cairo has officially confirmed their arrival.

According to Axios, Trump met with his national security team on Tuesday before sending Kushner and Witkoff to Egypt.

US officials reportedly expressed cautious optimism, saying the envoys were instructed not to leave until a deal is reached.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is also expected to join the talks, which entered their second day on Tuesday.

Unveiled on Sept. 29, Trump’s proposal calls for the release of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a full ceasefire, Hamas’ disarmament, and the reconstruction of Gaza with international support.

Hamas has accepted the plan in principle, while Israel has yet to make a formal statement.

The latest talks come nearly two years after Israel’s military campaign began in Gaza in October 2023, following Hamas’ cross-border attacks. Earlier mediation attempts by Qatar, Egypt, and the US failed to secure a lasting ceasefire.

Since the start of the war, Israeli forces have killed almost 67,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

The devastation has rendered Gaza nearly uninhabitable, with widespread displacement, hunger, and disease spreading across the enclave.