CAIRO – 16 January 2026: U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said Friday that the Rafah crossing must be opened from both sides to complete the final stages of ending the war in Gaza.
Witkoff indicated the move is about ‘building trust’, noting that reaching the second phase of the agreement is a major achievement for both Palestinians in Gaza and Israelis. "We must live in peace," he said.
Regarding the disarmament of Hamas, Witkoff said in statements carried by Hebrew media: “I believe they will disarm. I met with Hamas. Trump did not hesitate to allow Jared Kushner and me to meet with them in Sharm el-Sheikh, and that was the key to the agreement.”
When asked if he had influence over Hamas, Wittkopf said the dynamic shifted after a recent prisoner swap.
“When we released the 20 hostages alive, the situation changed for Hamas,” he said. “They stopped considering the hostages an asset and began to see them as a burden, and that was the key. I think we can show them that disarmament is the right option in the long run.”
Regarding the formation of a "Peace Council," the U.S. envoy said the concept was a long-held vision of Donald Trump.
“Trump dreamed of this council,” Witkoff said. “His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, my partner, is an exceptional person, and the current administration has a fantastic team. The Peace Council is a great step, and Jared and I spoke with the members of the technocratic committee, and we were able to form a new government that will replace Hamas forever.”
Addressing the ceasefire negotiations and the release of Israeli prisoners, Witkoff admitted that he felt ‘hopeless at times due to the complexity of the matter’. However, he noted that an agreement was eventually reached and implemented by Hamas. He pledged to continue working to recover the body of the final prisoner.
Witkoff also touched on the emotional weight of the negotiations for the president.
“Trump cried,” Wittkoff said. “I saw the tears in his eyes, and he described the day he received the 20 hostages as a great day for the White House.” He added that both he and Trump considered the return of the prisoners a ‘personal matter.’
In further remarks, Wittkoff emphasized that disarmament is a prerequisite for the reconstruction phase and a civilian future for the Gaza Strip. He noted that international pressure and direct negotiations led Hamas leadership to realize that maintaining an arsenal and "dragging Gaza into an endless war" no longer serves its interests.
“Today, we were able to form a new administration to replace Hamas, and this is a historic change,” Wittkoff said. “This is the first step on the path to the large-scale reconstruction of the Gaza Strip under international supervision and civilian administration.”
Wittkoff concluded by stating that the reconstruction of Gaza remains conditional on a new security reality where Hamas is no longer an armed entity. He described this not just as an Israeli demand, but as a "fundamental condition" for lasting peace.
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