Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, January 21, 2024
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, January 21, 2024
White House Mideast envoy heading to Egypt, Qatar for hostage deal talks
US National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk speaks during the IISS Manama Dialogue security conference, in Manama on November 18, 2023. (Mazen Mahdi / AFP)
The White House’s Middle East czar Brett McGurk will be traveling to Egypt and Qatar this week for talks with his counterparts regarding the war in Gaza and efforts to secure the release of the remaining 136 hostages, a US official tells The Times of Israel.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier today that the US, Egypt, and Qatar are pushing Israel and Hamas to accept a comprehensive plan that would end the war, see the release of hostages held in Gaza, and ultimately lead to full normalization for Israel with its neighbors and talks for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Israeli and US officials have, however, stated publicly today that a hostage deal is not imminent.
