President-elect Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkopf is considering a visit to the war-torn Gaza Strip as part of his efforts to keep Israel and Hamas safe, according to a transition official with direct knowledge of the situation. ceasefire process as part of the ceasefire agreement.

Witkov also plans to maintain a presence in the region in the coming weeks and months to address local emergencies, underscoring how fragile the president-elect's team believes the ceasefire, which takes effect on Sunday, is. The official said he believed this could undermine the agreement at any time and halt the release of hostages held by Hamas.

"You have to be prepared to deal with problems if they arise," the official said.

Meanwhile, Witkov is working to achieve long-term stability for Israelis and the 2 million displaced Palestinians, a goal that spans the three phases of the deal reached last week.

The first phase, which begins on Sunday and is expected to last about six weeks, involves the release of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinians held by Israel. The second phase will follow the first phase of negotiations and is expected to lead to the release of more hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The goal of the final phase, which is to end the war and begin rebuilding Gaza, remains to be negotiated.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched its first terrorist attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 people hostage. The attack shocked the country and alarmed many Israelis who believed they had military superiority in the region.

Since then, the conflict has added multiple fronts, with Israel trying to root out Iran and other Iranian-backed enemies in neighboring countries.

At present, Trump’s envoy is most worried about hooligan incidents caused by the inevitable daily contact between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza and its surrounding areas even if a ceasefire agreement is signed.

"Remember, there are a lot of people, radicals, fanatics, not just from the Hamas side but from the right on the Israeli side who are absolutely motivated to undermine the entire agreement," the transition official said.

The official said a visit to Gaza would allow Witkov to see first-hand what is going on there rather than listen to Israeli or Palestinian accounts, adding: "You have to see it, you have to feel it."

While managing the current phase of the deal and negotiating the next phase, Trump and his team are also working toward a longer-term solution.

"If we don't help Gazans, if we don't make their lives better, if we don't give them hope, there will be an insurgency," the transition official said.

Questions remain about how to rebuild Gaza and where to resettle some 2 million Palestinians in the meantime. Transition officials said Indonesia, for example, is one of the locations being discussed as a possible destination for some of them.

Even the question of Gazans' willingness to relocate remains unresolved. The idea of ​​relocation is highly controversial among Palestinians and fellow Arabs. Many believe the relocation would be Israel's first step in forcing them from their land.

However, the issue of aid getting into Gaza for the current first phase of the ceasefire agreement remains a challenge. Israel remains concerned that Hamas will take a share of any aid coming into Gaza, and the humanitarian crisis there is dire. Hunger and disease were rampant, and the situation continued to worsen.

Israel's offensive in Gaza over the past year and a half has killed more than 45,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian health officials. The explosion also destroyed the enclave's health system, forcing people from their homes into squalid tent camps.

Witkopf, a real estate developer who has known Trump for decades, joined President Joe Biden's team to work for more than a year on a deal and accepted Trump's A single directive, the transition official said: Hostages go home, and if they don't, come back and explain why.

The window for reaching a deal is narrower than ever. Not only did Trump set a deadline of Jan. 20, the day he was to be sworn in, that he had failed to meet in previous rounds of negotiations, but as temperatures dropped across the region, in the past few weeks Several more hostages died. Transition officials say the situation continues to deteriorate.

Trump's close alliance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his threat that he will not prevent further Israeli bombing of Gaza if no deal is reached also cast a shadow over the process.

Israel is a close ally of the United States, which provided at least $17.9 billion in military aid to the country last year.

Witkoff has used Trump's history with Israel and ties to Netanyahu to pressure Israelis. Once, he went to see the Prime Minister on the Sabbath and had a frank exchange. Witkov told people privately that his comments about Netanyahu, on Saturday, January 11, were not a threat and that he was invited to the prime minister's presence by Ron Demer, one of Netanyahu's closest aides. Of the official residence.

Witkov is seeking a reality check from Netanyahu about what he is willing to do and a candid telling of what he needs to do to reach a deal, including sending a senior Israeli representative to the Doha talks who can make decisions on the transition Officials said this was in real time. His message to the prime minister was essentially: "If you have no intention of making a deal, just tell me and I'll get on a plane and go home."

In discussions with Israeli officials, he also did not hesitate to point out everything Trump has done for Israel. During his first term, Trump moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory and cut U.S. aid to the Palestinians. In discussions with Israeli officials, he also at times noted Trump's willingness to take on political pressure to reach a deal and implored Israel to do the same.

The message to Hamas through the Qataris is: Unless you are ready to die, tell me why you don't think this is the deal that will finally lead to the end of the war?

Witkov also established close ties with the hostages' families. They expressed concern that their loved ones would be left behind in the second phase of the deal, when they are due to be released, and were particularly concerned about whether Israel would have enough Palestinian prisoners to exchange: the figures were included in the framework agreement agreed last May, Without phase one, there can be no phase two, and there are currently no negotiations.

The first phase could collapse at any time over the next six weeks, with the first American hostage, Keith Siegel, not expected to be released until the 14th day of the ceasefire. Unless the ceasefire continues into Phase 2, five more American families will not be able to send their children home, life or death.