Steve Witkoff in the spotlight after Hamas agreed to a hostage deal

On By Littum

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is in the spotlight as the first phase of the hostage deal began this week. The first three hostages were released on January 19, a day before Trump’s inauguration.

Speaking at a Trump victory rally on Sunday, Witkoff said he had received news of the hostage release on his phone shortly before taking the stage. “We had a great team, but it doesn’t happen without Donald Trump… The president was responsible for this release and we all owe him a debt of gratitude, as do all the families,” he said.

Witkoff was brought back in mid-November by Trump. The New York Post called him a longtime friend of the president and a “fellow real estate developer.” Trump wrote at the time that “Steve is a highly respected leader in business and philanthropy who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous. Steve will be a relentless voice for PEACE and make us all proud.”

The envoy avoided the limelight until early January, when the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration were able to gather mediators in Doha to try to finalize a deal that had been in the works for a year. In fact, many parts of the agreement were not changed, but apparently there was a need to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the terms.

Republican presidential candidate and former US President Trump holds a rally at the Atrium Health Amphitheater in Macon, Georgia (Credit: BRIAN SNYDER/REUTERS)

According to multiple reports, Witkoff made it clear that a deal was going to happen. “Steve Witkoff delivers ‘strong message’ from Trump to Netanyahu, prompting PM to direct Israeli negotiating team to go to Qatar and strike deal; Envoy reportedly said Trump ‘has been a great friend of Israel, and now it’s time to be a friend back,’ wrote Ynet.

‘An agreement had to be made’

This approach has now been dubbed the “Witkoff Strategy” by Al-Ain media in the UAE. It is clear that the region is following this development closely. It knows that the Biden administration failed to get a deal and that Trump is more serious; many countries are willing to be flexible when they hear that Trump wants something, as they are aware that he is willing to back up words with actions. Their flexibility indicates a mixture of respect and perhaps a slight fear of consequences.

“People who know Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, were not surprised to learn that an aggressive meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convinced the latter to sign an agreement that included a ceasefire and the return of hostages,” noted a report. at Al-Ain media. “He’s a smart guy and a talented negotiator,” a person close to Witkoff said, according to Gulf media.

The way the Trump administration, which took office on Jan. 20, has advanced the deal and brokered a ceasefire after a 15-month war will reverberate across the region. The Israel-Hamas war was massively destructive and has reshaped the region, resulting in further war.

The October 7, 2023 attack saw Iraqi militias carry out more than 100 attacks in Syria and Iraq, targeting US troops, as well as those in Jordan. The war also sparked the Houthi attacks on ships and the war in Lebanon that likely led to the fall of the Assad regime.

The United States often responded to these events but did not drive them forward. The Trump administration has come to power to try to end this war in Gaza and potentially push for a ceasefire in Lebanon as well. The first sixty days of the ceasefire will end at the end of January.

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The administration will have a lot of work to do. The key aspect here, however, is that the region is already experiencing progress, and things are happening that many countries have been waiting for. The fact is that Trump and his envoy Witkoff, as well as other members of the incoming administration, will now be taken seriously.

When the incoming administration says they want the ceasefire to continue, they are listened to. This will continue until it faces a crisis that it may not be able to handle. For now, however, many countries are happy with what they see; they wanted the war in Gaza to end.

However, some countries will be concerned as Hamas’s power and popularity grows, knowing its destructive capabilities. Therefore, some will question how much the Gaza ceasefire can strengthen Hamas. Israel’s inability to defeat Hamas in 15 months may cause concern among Israel’s peace partners in the region. Although it had tried to restore deterrence after October 7, the ceasefire agreement could erode that deterrence again.