Trump’s special envoy may resign at the end of the year – media
30 September 10:17
Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East and Ukraine, may leave his post by the end of the year. According to a Times of Israel source, Vitkoff’s entourage is already discussing his next steps, and the special envoy himself is considering leaving after progress is made in the Gaza negotiations.
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is expected to resign at the end of this year, an American official “familiar with the matter” told The Times of Israel, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Mr. Vitkoff, who has been Donald Trump’s representative in ceasefire negotiations in Gaza and Ukraine since the beginning of his second term, serves as a special civil servant. His term of office is limited to approximately 130 days, although an extension is possible depending on his expected length of service.
However, according to a U.S. official, Vitkoff is preparing to leave his post by the end of the year. His departure is all the more likely as a breakthrough in the Gaza peace settlement, as noted by The Times of Israel, is close after Trump announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted the latest American proposal, and mediators are awaiting a response from Hamas.
The official adds that “people in [Witkoff’s] office are already looking for the next step,” and the envoy himself, especially if a deal is reached on Gaza, will “leave gracefully.”
In addition to the term of office, the decision could have been influenced by image risks.
Thus, the media attention was drawn to a possible conflict of interest: The New York Times wrote about negotiations between Witkoff’s son and Qatari funds, which coincided with his Middle Eastern contacts. The White House denied the allegations.
