US Envoy Hosts Talks on Gaza Ceasefire Phase 2

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff hosted senior officials from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey in Miami, Florida, on Friday to discuss advancing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, amid ongoing accusations of violations by both Israel and Palestinian groups.

The meeting, confirmed by a State Department official speaking on condition of anonymity, focused on implementing Phase 2 of the US-brokered truce that took effect on October 10, 2025, halting more than two years of fighting between Israel and Hamas. Participants included Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. Witkoff, President Donald Trump's key delegate for regional peace negotiations, aimed to address stalled progress in the deal.

The ceasefire emerged from a conflict sparked by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of 251 hostages. Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has led to more than 70,660 Palestinian deaths, according to the territory's Health Ministry, with roughly half reported as women...