Witkoff Plans To Visit The Mideast In Push For Gaza Ceasefire, State Department Spokesperson Says

Jul 22, 2025 | 8:53 PM

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 14: Steve Witkoff, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, attends a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office at the White House on July 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump is meeting with Rutte a day after announcing that the U.S. will send Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine to help it defend against Russia’s intensifying aerial attacks. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department’s spokesperson says President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is planning to head to the Middle East as the U.S. tries once again to solidify a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters Tuesday that Witkoff was going to the region with a “strong hope” that the U.S. can deliver another ceasefire deal as well as a new humanitarian corridor for aid distribution. Three U.S. officials said Witkoff is traveling to Europe this week to discuss Gaza and other issues but had no details about Middle East stops.