{"id":3148,"date":"2025-01-31T14:49:02","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T14:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/"},"modified":"2025-01-31T14:49:02","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T14:49:02","slug":"steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/","title":{"rendered":"Steven Witkoff, Trump\u2019s Middle East Envoy, Makes Rare Trip to Gaza"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The Trump administration\u2019s envoy to the Middle East made a rare visit to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to a White House official, aiming to reinforce a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas that has allowed thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to their homes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/13\/world\/middleeast\/huckabee-israel-witkoff-middle-east-us.html\" title=\"\">The envoy, Steven Witkoff<\/a>, who is the most senior U.S. official to visit Gaza in many years, also met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Wednesday, the eve of another round of hostage releases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">An Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive subject said that while in Gaza, Mr. Witkoff had visited the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects the enclave, where American security contractors have been enlisted to help handle the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians who have been streaming north this week, many on foot.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">High-ranking U.S. officials have stayed away from Gaza for years, both because of security concerns and because of the official American no-contact policy with Hamas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-2\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Another Israeli official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Mr. Witkoff arrived in Israel to meet with Mr. Netanyahu and several of his top aides on Wednesday. Israel Katz, Israel\u2019s defense minister, was also at the meeting, according to a third Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the minister\u2019s schedule.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Before the American envoy went to Israel, he had discussions on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia about a broader Middle East peace plan, one of the Israeli officials said. The White House official said Mr. Witkoff had met Hussein al-Sheikh, the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. Two Palestinian officials who requested anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting said Saudi Arabia\u2019s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, was also at the meeting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Witkoff\u2019s visit to the region comes as the Trump administration seeks to broker <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2025\/01\/19\/us\/politics\/trump-president-promises.html\" title=\"\">a wider Middle East peace agreement<\/a> that would include normalizing diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a deal that President Trump sought during his first term. But that pact largely hinges on plans for Gaza\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Witkoff <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/video\/6367504293112\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">said in a Fox News interview last week<\/a> that he planned to visit both the Netzarim Corridor in Gaza and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/what-is-philadelphi-corridor-gaza.html\" title=\"\">the Philadelphi Corridor<\/a>, which is farther south and on the border with Egypt, during the trip. But the timing was unclear as travel schedules are usually closely held to ensure security.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-3\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem declined to comment on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In the early days of the 15-month war, the Israeli military ordered a mass evacuation of northern Gaza, forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee south. For months, Israeli soldiers patrolled the Netzarim Corridor, in part to prevent Palestinians from heading back north.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-4\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But under the terms of a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/17\/world\/middleeast\/israel-cabinet-ceasefire-gaza.html\" title=\"\">42-day cease-fire<\/a> agreement reached this month, Israeli troops withdrew on Monday from the two main roads along the Netzarim Corridor <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/27\/world\/middleeast\/northern-gaza-palestinians-return.html?searchResultPosition=1\" title=\"\">to allow Gazans to head north<\/a>. By Tuesday, more than 376,000 people had reached northern Gaza, according to the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ochaopt.org\/content\/humanitarian-situation-update-259-gaza-strip\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">latest data<\/a> from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The American firm Safe Reach Solutions is expected to <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/23\/world\/middleeast\/gaza-us-contractors.html\" title=\"\">oversee the operational management<\/a> of the corridor, according to a person familiar with the plan, while two other firms \u2014 one American and one Egyptian \u2014 will handle the inspections of those heading north.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/09\/13\/world\/middleeast\/philadelphi-corridor-israel-gaza-egypt.html\" title=\"\">Philadelphi Corridor<\/a>, as it is known in Israel, is a roughly eight-mile border strip between Egypt and Gaza. Israeli troops currently maintain control of the area, but they are expected to withdraw during the second phase of the cease-fire, the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usip.org\/publications\/2025\/01\/israel-hamas-reach-gaza-cease-fire-deal-what-happens-now\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">details of which are still being negotiated<\/a>. Mr. Netanyahu has called the corridor a \u201clifeline\u201d for Hamas\u2019s smuggling operations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-5\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Witkoff <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/15\/us\/politics\/gaza-ceasefire-trump-biden.html\" title=\"\">played an important role in brokering the initial cease-fire deal<\/a> between Israel and Hamas, teaming with officials from the Biden administration, Qatar and Egypt in the days before the Trump inauguration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">His visit comes a day before Israeli legislation targeting the operations of the main U.N. agency that aids Palestinian refugees goes into effect. The laws would require the agency, UNRWA, to cease its activities in East Jerusalem and bans any Israeli government contacts with the agency. UNRWA says the laws would hobble its operations in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The agency\u2019s commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini, told ambassadors at the United Nations on Tuesday that curtailing the agency\u2019s operations would \u201cundermine the cease-fire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt will sabotage Gaza\u2019s recovery and political transition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-6\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dorothy Shea, the Trump administration\u2019s interim representative to the U.N., on Tuesday dismissed the agency\u2019s claims as exaggerated and said the United States supported \u201cIsrael\u2019s sovereign decision\u201d to close UNRWA\u2019s offices on its soil.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-7\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Israel and UNRWA have long been at odds. Last year, Israel claimed that UNRWA employees participated in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. A U.N. investigation found that nine employees might have been involved in the attack, and the agency said <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/08\/05\/world\/middleeast\/unrwa-oct-7-attack.html\" title=\"\">they had been fired<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Witkoff\u2019s visit also comes ahead of the third round of <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/27\/world\/middleeast\/arbel-yehud-civilian-hostage-gaza.html\" title=\"\">hostage and prisoner exchanges<\/a> between Israel and Hamas that is expected on Thursday. An Israeli soldier, Agam Berger, and two Israeli civilians \u2014 <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/27\/world\/middleeast\/arbel-yehud-civilian-hostage-gaza.html\" title=\"\">Arbel Yehud<\/a> and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/10\/09\/world\/middleeast\/israel-gaza-father-kidnap.html\" title=\"\">Gadi Moses<\/a> \u2014 are to be released on Thursday, along with five Thai citizens, said Omer Dostri, the prime minister\u2019s spokesman.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">David Mencer, a government spokesman, said three more hostages would be released on Saturday. Under the cease-fire deal, 33 Israeli hostages were to be released in the first phase in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Seven captives have already returned home, and eight of the remaining hostages are <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/28\/world\/middleeast\/israel-hostages-dead-hamas.html\" title=\"\">no longer alive<\/a>, according to Israeli officials.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-8\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Netanyahu has been invited to meet with Mr. Trump on Feb. 4 at the White House.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with the foreign ministers of Egypt and Qatar to discuss continued cooperation in Gaza. That would include \u201cpost-conflict planning to ensure Hamas can never govern Gaza or threaten Israel again,\u201d according to a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/secretary-rubios-call-with-egyptian-foreign-minister-abdelatty-2\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">State Department readout<\/a> of Mr. Rubio\u2019s call with the Egyptian foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty. Though Hamas has been weakened, the militant group survived the war in Gaza and remains the most powerful Palestinian party in the territory.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-9\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Trump has also called on Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from Gaza, and \u201cclean out\u201d the territory, he <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/25\/us\/politics\/trump-palestinians-jordan-egypt-refugees.html\" title=\"\">told reporters<\/a> this past weekend. That has been roundly <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/26\/world\/middleeast\/trump-gaza-jordan-egypt.html\" title=\"\">rejected by both countries<\/a>, and on Wednesday, Mr. al-Sheikh, the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, spoke with Mr. Abdelatty to reaffirm Egypt\u2019s dismissal of Mr. Trump\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWays to consolidate the cease-fire and provide humanitarian aid were discussed, and support for the Palestinian people to remain on their land and the absolute rejection of their displacement were emphasized,\u201d Mr. al-Sheikh <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/HusseinSheikhpl\/status\/1884526357708685569\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">said on social media<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-798hid etfikam0\">Aaron Boxerman<!-- --> and <!-- -->Patrick Kingsley<!-- --> contributed reporting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/29\/world\/middleeast\/israel-gaza-witkoff-visit.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Trump administration\u2019s envoy to the Middle East made a rare visit to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3149,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[114,89,99,96,1322,1321,113,1320],"class_list":["post-3148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-donald-j","tag-gaza-strip","tag-israel","tag-palestinians","tag-saudi-arabia","tag-steven","tag-trump","tag-witkoff"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Steven Witkoff, Trump\u2019s Middle East Envoy, Makes Rare Trip to Gaza - World News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Steven Witkoff, Trump\u2019s Middle East Envoy, Makes Rare Trip to Gaza - World News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Trump administration\u2019s envoy to the Middle East made a rare visit to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"World News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-31T14:49:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"News\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2\"},\"headline\":\"Steven Witkoff, Trump\u2019s Middle East Envoy, Makes Rare Trip to Gaza\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-31T14:49:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-31T14:49:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/\"},\"wordCount\":1180,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Donald J\",\"Gaza Strip\",\"Israel\",\"Palestinians\",\"Saudi Arabia\",\"Steven\",\"Trump\",\"Witkoff\"],\"articleSection\":[\"World\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/\",\"name\":\"Steven Witkoff, Trump\u2019s Middle East Envoy, Makes Rare Trip to Gaza - World News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-31T14:49:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-31T14:49:02+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1\",\"width\":1050,\"height\":550},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Steven Witkoff, Trump\u2019s Middle East Envoy, Makes Rare Trip to Gaza\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\",\"name\":\"World News\",\"description\":\"World News\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\",\"name\":\"World News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png\",\"width\":581,\"height\":581,\"caption\":\"World News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2\",\"name\":\"News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Steven Witkoff, Trump\u2019s Middle East Envoy, Makes Rare Trip to Gaza - World News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Steven Witkoff, Trump\u2019s Middle East Envoy, Makes Rare Trip to Gaza - World News","og_description":"The Trump administration\u2019s envoy to the Middle East made a rare visit to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to","og_url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/","og_site_name":"World News","article_published_time":"2025-01-31T14:49:02+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"News","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/"},"author":{"name":"News","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2"},"headline":"Steven Witkoff, Trump\u2019s Middle East Envoy, Makes Rare Trip to Gaza","datePublished":"2025-01-31T14:49:02+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-31T14:49:02+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/"},"wordCount":1180,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1","keywords":["Donald J","Gaza Strip","Israel","Palestinians","Saudi Arabia","Steven","Trump","Witkoff"],"articleSection":["World"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/","name":"Steven Witkoff, Trump\u2019s Middle East Envoy, Makes Rare Trip to Gaza - World News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1","datePublished":"2025-01-31T14:49:02+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-31T14:49:02+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1","width":1050,"height":550},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/steven-witkoff-trumps-middle-east-envoy-makes-rare-trip-to-gaza\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Steven Witkoff, Trump\u2019s Middle East Envoy, Makes Rare Trip to Gaza"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/","name":"World News","description":"World News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization","name":"World News","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png","width":581,"height":581,"caption":"World News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2","name":"News","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1","medium":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1","medium_large":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=768&resize=768,0&ssl=1","large":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1","1536x1536":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1536&resize=1536,1536&ssl=1","2048x2048":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=2048&resize=2048,2048&ssl=1","colormag-highlighted-post":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=392&resize=392,272&ssl=1","colormag-featured-post-medium":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=390&resize=390,205&ssl=1","colormag-featured-post-small":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=130&resize=130,90&ssl=1","colormag-featured-image":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=800&resize=800,445&ssl=1","colormag-default-news":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1","colormag-featured-image-large":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1400&resize=1400,600&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-block-extra-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1155&resize=1155,480&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=600&resize=600,417&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-small-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=285&resize=285,450&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-medium-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=575&resize=575,198&ssl=1"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"News","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e85cf08852547781a5f631f3713dbb5197ed4b54e32ae19c7d5769b8c8504897?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":false,"magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"The Trump administration\u2019s envoy to the Middle East made a rare visit to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["World"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":82,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":6,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=1050&resize=1050,550&ssl=1",1050,550,false],"medium":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1",300,300,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/29\/multimedia\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm\/29mideast-ledeall-jvqm-facebookJumbo.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1",150,150,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"News","author_link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e85cf08852547781a5f631f3713dbb5197ed4b54e32ae19c7d5769b8c8504897?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-35\">World<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3148"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3148\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}