How close is a cease-fire? Donald Trump holds meeting on Gaza City post-war plan; Food aid, hostages in focus

Donald Trump holds meeting on Gaza City post-war plan; Food aid, hostages in focus (Pic credit: AP)

President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) chaired a ‘policy meet’ to hold discussions on the future of Gaza at the White House, which was breifed by former UK prime minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who presented ideas for a ‘post-war’ plan.While the specifics of the ‘plan’ remain unclear, the talks centred on governance, humanitarian assistance and security arrangements in Gaza, including talks on boosting food aid deliveries, resolving the hostage crisis, and shaping proposals for Gaza’s future once the conflict ends, were discussed for over an hour, according to Reuters.Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, was a key architect of Trump’s Middle East policy during his first term but does not hold a formal role in the current administration, has been informally advising White House officials since Trump returned to office in January. The session was also attended by US foreign envoy Steve Witkoff and other senior administration aides.Ahead of the talks, Witkoff had told Fox News that Trump would convene “a large meeting” on Gaza. “It is a very comprehensive plan we are putting together on the next day (in Gaza), and many people are going to see how robust it is and how well-meaning it is. It reflects President Trump’s humanitarian motives here,” he said. He also suggested the administration believes the war could end by the end of this year.Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is under growing pressure from protesters and the country’s military leadership to agree to a ceasefire and hostage release deal, instead of pushing ahead with his plan to broaden the military offensive.Witkoff has been in regular contact with Blair and Kushner for several months over the post-war strategy, reported Axios. Blair had met Witkoff at the White House in July — the same day Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu conferred with Trump, before briefing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the discussions in Washington.The details of Trump’s post-war blueprint remain unclear, particularly on how Gaza’s reconstruction would be carried out and who would ultimately oversee the enclave’s governance.