(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, along with his son-in-law Jared Kushner, touched down in Egypt early Wednesday to advance urgent Gaza ceasefire negotiations, according to US media outlets.

“President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday morning to join the negotiations over the deal to release the remaining hostages held by Hamas and ending the war in Gaza that has now crossed the two-year mark,” media reported.

The day prior, Trump convened with his senior national security advisors to review the status of the Gaza talks, just before Witkoff and Kushner departed for Egypt, the outlet added.

Sources within the US government expressed guarded optimism about the potential for a breakthrough this week, stressing that Kushner and Witkoff will not leave Egypt without securing an agreement to free hostages and bring an end to the conflict.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, is scheduled to arrive in Sharm El-Sheikh later Wednesday to join ongoing discussions, which began on Monday.

On September 29, Trump introduced a comprehensive 20-point plan calling for the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, Hamas disarmament, and Gaza’s reconstruction. Hamas has agreed to the plan in principle.

Since October 2023, Israeli military operations have resulted in the deaths of over 67,000 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, in Gaza. The sustained bombardment has devastated the territory, causing widespread displacement, starvation, and disease, leaving the enclave nearly uninhabitable.

MENAFN08102025000045017169ID1110165768