Witkoff delays his departure to Qatar in sign talks not yet fully ripe, sources tell ToI

WASHINGTON — US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has pushed back his flight to Doha where he was slated to join the ongoing proximity talks between Israel and Hamas on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, two sources familiar with the matter tell The Times of Israel.

Witkoff was initially slated to fly to Qatar on Tuesday, the sources say, adding that a new departure date has not been set.

The US envoy informed mediators that he still plans to travel to Doha in order to help bring the deal across the finish line, so his decision to push back his trip indicates that a significant amount of progress still needs to be made.

Earlier Tuesday, Witkoff told reporters that he is hopeful a deal can be reached this week and that three of the four sticking points have been resolved over the past three days of proximity talks in Doha.