Waltz, Witkoff discuss Gaza ceasefire, reconstruction with Netanyahu

Witkoff said the White House is trying to be transparent with negotiators and pushed back on the characterization of Trump calling for the clearing out of Gaza, saying Trump views it as humanitarian.

By HANNAH SARISOHN FEBRUARY 4, 2025 21:37

MICHAEL WALTZ, Donald Trump’s national security adviser, gestures during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, last summer. (photo credit: Mike Segar/Reuters)

Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz addressed reporters in front of the White House a few hours prior to US President Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Tuesday marked day 17 of phase two of the ceasefire and hostage release deal.

“We’re in phase two now,” Witkoff said, though he was less clear when asked about Netanyahu ending the war and withdrawing troops from Gaza. 

"Phase two has its own protocol attached to it, and that's what we're observing," he said, saying part of the problem with the deal is that it wasn't "such a wonderful agreement that was first signed" and it was not dictated by the Trump administration. 

"We were able to get to the right place on phase one, we're hopeful we'll get to the right place on phase two," Witkoff said. "And what me and Waltz are identifying, which, by the way, President Trump's identified, is that phase three, the reconstruction can't, is not going to go the way that agreement talks about, which is a five year program. It's physically impossible."

Witkoff said the White House is trying to be transparent with negotiators and pushed back on the characterization of Trump calling for the clearing out of Gaza, saying he thinks Trump is looking at it from a humanitarian standpoint as Gazans are sitting with "literally 1,000's of unexploded ordnance and piles of rubble."

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, in Jerusalem on Wednesday. (credit: GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE)

"You know, at some point we have to look realistically. How do you rebuild Gaza? What does that look like? What's the timeline?" Witkoff said. "I think we, a lot of people, were looking at very unrealistic timelines."

Upcoming regional meetings

Waltz met with Netanyahu and Ron Dermer last night to go over "guidelines and parameters," Witkoff said, adding that he'll be meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Florida on Thursday. 

Witkoff also said Jordan's King Abdullah will travel to Washington next week to meet with Trump. 

Waltz said the White House is looking to a "number of allies" in the region when asked how the administration will get past both Egypt and Jordan saying taking in Gazan refugees is a non-starter. 

"We have to collectively solve this problem for this war that Hamas started," Waltz said. "And what has happened to these people that Hamas was willing to sacrifice to turn global opinion against Israel. But now, we have to collectively come up with some problems, and I think the president has taken a very common sense approach."