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Witkoff emphasized the strategic alignment between the two allies, portraying the meeting as part of ongoing coordination between the Trump administration and Israel’s leadership.
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By United with Israel Staff
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said Israel and the United States “aligned on next steps” following a high-level meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as Washington and Jerusalem press ahead with planning for the next phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza initiative.
In a post on X on Sunday, Witkoff wrote that a U.S. delegation met with Netanyahu on Tuesday, describing the talks as focused on “continued progress and implementation planning for Phase 2 of President Trump’s 20-Point Plan for Gaza.”
“Yesterday, a U.S. delegation including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor Aryeh Lightstone, and White House advisor Josh Gruenbaum met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” Witkoff wrote.
According to the envoy, the meeting centered on advancing Phase 2 “which the United States and Israel are advancing together in close partnership,” alongside “broader regional issues.”
The meeting followed Trump’s announcement last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he formally launched the new “Board of Peace,” a U.S.-led framework he has described as a vehicle to oversee postwar stabilization efforts in Gaza and potentially expand to other regional challenges.
Witkoff emphasized the strategic alignment between the two allies, portraying the meeting as part of ongoing coordination between the Trump administration and Israel’s leadership.
“The United States and Israel maintain a strong and longstanding relationship built on close coordination and shared priorities,” he wrote.
He added that the talks were “constructive and positive,” saying both sides left the meeting aligned on a path forward.
“The discussion was constructive and positive, with both sides aligned on next steps and the importance of continued cooperation on all matters critical to the region,” Witkoff wrote.
The post comes as attention intensifies on Gaza’s next phase and broader efforts to shape a postwar framework, with U.S. officials signaling that implementation planning is moving forward in coordination with Israel.
However, Israeli government officials did not have kind words about Witkoff. They criticized the US envoy over the weekend, accusing the businessman-turned-diplomat of serving the interests of Turkey and Qatar, while blindsiding Israel.
Speaking with the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth, multiple Israeli officials took aim at Trump’s 68-year-old Mideast envoy, who also serves as special envoy for peace missions, after Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday.
The officials fumed that Witkoff is pressuring Israel to open both incoming and outgoing traffic through the Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egyptian border, despite Hamas’ failure to return the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza, Ran Gvili.
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