A top American envoy has arrived in Israel in a high-stakes diplomatic effort to break the deadlock over Gaza, as the 21-month-long conflict teeters on the edge of a dangerous new phase. Steven Witcoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special Middle East envoy, landed on July 31 amid escalating rhetoric from Israeli officials who are signaling a potential re-annexation of the besieged strip and intensified military operations following the collapse of ceasefire negotiations with Hamas.
The visit comes as patience in Jerusalem wears thin. Israeli officials accuse Hamas of deliberately stalling negotiations, believing that international pressure will eventually force Israel to end the war on terms favorable to the militant group. According to sources cited by Israel’s Channel 12 news, the consensus within Israel’s war cabinet is that the ‘window of opportunity for a deal with Hamas is closing.’ Israel has since withdrawn its negotiators from indirect talks in Qatar and has reportedly warned Hamas that unless progress is made, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will significantly increase military pressure.
In a dramatic escalation, Israeli officials have also floated the possibility of annexing the Gaza Strip, a territory Israel unilaterally disengaged from in 2005. According to a report in the Haaretz newspaper, the proposal is being considered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, partly to appease far-right members of his ruling coalition. This sentiment was echoed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who called for the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza on an even larger scale, asserting that the enclave is part of Israeli territory.
The prospect of annexation, however, appears to lack support from Washington. CNN sources report a shift in President Trump’s private approach towards Prime Minister Netanyahu, prompted by distressing video footage of starving children in Gaza. Trump reportedly told aides he wanted to address the ‘horrific images’ with Netanyahu and has privately urged him that ‘things must be done differently.’ This personal concern has not yet translated into a public policy shift. In a July 31 post on his Truth Social platform, Trump maintained that the ‘quickest way to end the humanitarian crisis’ is for Hamas to surrender and release all remaining hostages.
The worsening humanitarian disaster has alarmed the international community, prompting several Western nations to consider recognizing a Palestinian state as a means of pressuring Netanyahu’s government. The issue was a central topic at a recent UN conference in New York, initiated by Saudi Arabia and France, two countries that have grown increasingly critical of Israeli policy.
In response to international pressure, Israel recently announced daily ‘tactical pauses’ in fighting and has begun airdropping aid. However, Hamas has dismissed these measures as ‘ineffective,’ claiming the aid is dropped in dangerous, previously evacuated areas. The militant group insists that the ‘only solution to end the catastrophe in Gaza’ is the complete lifting of the blockade and the immediate opening of all land crossings.
While Israeli officials privately acknowledge the humanitarian challenges, they contend that reports of mass starvation are exaggerated by the international community to unfairly blame Israel. These officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, point to the continued operation of small markets and food establishments as evidence that the situation is more complex than portrayed. ‘People are truly suffering in Gaza,’ one source stated, ‘but the international community is only seeing part of the picture.’