U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday in a bid to salvage Gaza truce talks and tackle a humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's military assault in the enclave, where a global hunger monitor has warned that famine is unfolding.
Shortly after Witkoff's arrival, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social network: "The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!"
The U.S. State Department also announced sanctions on officials of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, saying the groups were undermining peace efforts. It was Washington's latest apparent diplomatic shift backing Israel against the Palestinians and diverging from its European allies.
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