Trump to Chair White House Meeting on Gaza amid Israeli Expanded Military Offensive
The US President, Donald Trump, is set to chair a meeting on Wednesday at the White House to discuss post-war plan for Gaza, the US Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, stated.
Meanwhile, Israel is pressing ahead with its expanded military offensive in the enclave, calling residents to evacuate Gaza City as Israeli tanks are approaching the city, reported Reuters.
On Tuesday, Witkoff said that Trump would chair a meeting on Gaza, expecting the war to stop before the end of the year. During an interview with Fox News, he said that Washington has a plan for post-war Gaza.
“Yes, we’ve got a large meeting in the White House tomorrow, chaired by the president, and it’s a very comprehensive plan we’re putting together on the next day,” Witkoff said.
“We think that we’re going to settle this one way or another, certainly before the end of this year,” he added, suggesting that both Hamas and Israel signaled openness to resume talks.
Separately, US State Secretary, Marco Rubio, will meet with Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, in Washington on Wednesday, according to the US State Department.
The White House meeting will take place as Israel moves ahead with an expanded military offensive in Gaza, shelling the Ebad-Alrahman neighborhood on the northern edge of Gaza City and ordering people to evacuate before a planned takeover of the enclave’s largest cities.
The Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said on Wednesday that the evacuation of Gaza City is “inevitable,” adding that Israel will provide tents to the displaced.
“Before transitioning to the next phase in the war, I wish to confirm that there are vast empty areas in the southern Strip, just as is the case in the central camps and in Al-Mawasi. These areas are free of tents,” he said in a statement.
