Kushner, Witkoff meet with UAE’s Sheikh Tahnoon as US pushes to reinforce Gaza ceasefire
United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Wednesday with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to discuss efforts to consolidate the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, the state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
According to WAM, the meeting in Abu Dhabi focused on the latest developments surrounding the ceasefire and US efforts to ensure that it holds as part of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for the enclave.
The Gaza agreement was reached on Oct. 8 through mediation by Egypt, Qatar, the US and Türkiye following negotiations in Egypt’s resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, with its first phase taking effect on Oct. 10.
The agency did not specify when Kushner and Witkoff arrived in the UAE or how long their visit would last but said the trip was part of a regional tour that began Monday in Israel to discuss the next steps in the American plan to end the Gaza war.
Washington is pushing to begin the plan’s second phase, while Israel has conditioned its participation on the full recovery of prisoners’ remains.
Sheikh Tahnoun praised “President Trump’s efforts to end the war in Gaza and promote peace and stability in the Middle East,” commending “the significant roles played by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner,” WAM said.
The agency added that the meeting also addressed “ways to strengthen regional stability and end the cycle of escalation in order to advance prosperity and sustainable development in the Middle East.”
The second phase of Trump’s plan calls for deploying an international peacekeeping force in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the disarmament of Hamas.
Since Oct. 13, Hamas has released the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages and returned the bodies of 16 others, leaving 12, mostly Israelis.
Israel, however, claims that 13 prisoners remain, alleging that one of the returned bodies did not match any of its missing personnel.
Hamas said it seeks to “close the file” but requires more time, advanced equipment and heavy machinery to locate and retrieve the remaining bodies.
