Haaretz: Weitkoff Fell into Netanyahu's "Trap"... The Solution is in Trump's Hands

SadaNews - The Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" reported on Sunday that the U.S. envoy to the Middle East, Steve Weitkoff, "fell into Netanyahu's trap," confirming that Trump is capable of forcing Israel to sign a deal for the release of hostages and to end the crisis.

It explained that Weitkoff's grand promises evaporated after six months of being appointed as Trump's special envoy to the Middle East.

"Haaretz" noted that Netanyahu is trying to prolong the war in Gaza by imposing conditions that he knows Hamas will reject.

It pointed out that Weitkoff started his mission with exceptional vigor, viewing diplomatic affairs as real estate deals that needed to be finalized, a vision that was realized in the January agreement that would not have been signed without his efforts.

"Haaretz" added: "But his lack of control over the fine details, ignorance of the deceptive tactics employed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his lack of deep understanding of the region, all contributed to his downfall since then."

It noted that Weitkoff's plans for a partial ceasefire and hostage release deals have collapsed.

It continued: "The U.S.-Egyptian-Qatari efforts yielded nothing but a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, while negotiations with Iran failed as well, and there has been no progress with the Russian-Ukrainian front either."

Meeting with Hostage Families

In his meeting with the families of the hostages on Saturday, Weitkoff surprised everyone when he claimed that Hamas had agreed to disarm.

However, Hamas quickly denied Weitkoff's allegations, affirming that it would not lay down its weapons before the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

"Haaretz" indicated that Weitkoff's statements came in an attempt to raise the spirits of the families, also suggesting that the U.S. has abandoned the strategy of gradual agreements and is seeking to end the war in one fell swoop.

It added that Weitkoff's visit aimed to promote an alternative humanitarian initiative, meaning, according to "Haaretz," that the U.S. is preparing to take the humanitarian aid file out of the hands of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and manage it itself.

The same source continued: "Weitkoff also informed the families of the hostages that Netanyahu wants to end the war. Unfortunately, he fell into a trap and will realize that soon."

On the other hand, the newspaper believes that Weitkoff can only blame Trump, who unleashed the idea of voluntary immigration, thus igniting the appetite of the far-right that knows exactly where to pressure Netanyahu, according to the same Hebrew newspaper.

The Hebrew newspaper considered that the keys to resolving the crisis are in Trump's hands, indicating that he must clarify the picture to Netanyahu and hope that Qatar can fulfill its commitments.