Weitkov intends to visit the Middle East on Sunday to follow up on Trump’s plan for Gaza

SadaNews - The U.S. President's envoy, Steve Weitkov, intends to visit the Middle East next Sunday to follow up on the ceasefire agreement regarding the Gaza Strip. This will be his second visit in a week after he participated in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Sharm el-Sheikh last weekend, and then subsequently visited Israel and Gaza.

An American envoy familiar with Weitkov's potential visit confirmed this, noting that it may include Egypt, Israel, and Gaza.

Weitkov's visit will also address the international force being established under Trump’s plan, in preparation for its deployment in parts of Gaza, allowing the Israeli army to continue its withdrawal from the area, according to Israeli Channel 12.

According to the same report, Washington "is seeking to begin the reconstruction process in areas outside Hamas control in Gaza, especially the city of Rafah on the border with Egypt. The Trump administration hopes that Rafah will become a model for the Gaza Strip without Hamas rule."

Additionally, it is expected that the ceasefire mechanism in Gaza will officially begin at the end of this week, as the commander of the U.S. Central Command, Brad Cooper, is also scheduled to arrive in Israel to facilitate its implementation, and will visit a civilian facility near Gaza, likely in Ashkelon, according to "Kan 11".

According to Israeli broadcasting agency "Kan 11", Washington conveyed a message to Tel Aviv, asking it not to take punitive measures regarding the crisis of the captured soldiers' bodies, indicating that it (Washington) is pressuring intermediaries on this matter.

According to the Israeli report, this explains why Israel has limited itself to threatening measures such as closing the Rafah crossing or reducing humanitarian aid without actually implementing them. In the meantime, discussions are underway between intermediaries, Israel, and Hamas regarding the retrieval of the bodies of Israeli soldiers from the Gaza Strip.

Israeli sources claimed that "Hamas is holding a number of bodies that have not yet been handed over contrary to the agreement, and it has information regarding the burial sites of other bodies, but it is not fully cooperating on this file."