US President-elect Donald Trump announced on Monday that he anticipates an agreement for the release of captives and a ceasefire in Gaza to be finalized by the end of the week.

 

In an interview with Newsmax, Trump said, “A preliminary understanding has been reached. They are now in the final stages of completing the agreement, but implementation is still required,” without elaborating further.

 

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s newly appointed ambassador to the Middle East, has been actively involved in mediation efforts. Recently, he has held intensive meetings with "Israeli" and Qatari officials.

 

Witkoff is working closely with Brett McGurk, the current US envoy to the Middle East, who recently traveled to Doha to discuss the agreement's progress.

 

Last week, Trump warned that “the situation in the Middle East could escalate significantly” if an agreement was not reached before his inauguration on January 20.