U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday that Washington is “hopeful, even confident” a breakthrough on the Gaza war could be announced soon, noting that President Donald Trump’s 21-point peace plan was presented to leaders a day earlier on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
"We're hopeful, and I might say even confident, that in the coming days we'll be able to announce some sort of breakthrough," Witkoff told the Concordia summit on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
"We presented what we call the Trump 21-point plan for peace in the Mideast and Gaza," Witkoff said.
"I think it addresses Israeli concerns as well as the concerns of all the neighbors in the region," he told the summit.
Arab and Muslim leaders told Trump that ending the Israeli war in Gaza is the first step toward achieving a just and lasting peace, Saudi Arabia said Wednesday.
A joint statement released by the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the leaders described the gathering, held on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, as "important," highlighting the unbearable humanitarian catastrophe and heavy loss of life in Gaza, as well as the grave consequences for regional stability and the wider Muslim world.
They reiterated their rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians and called for allowing those who fled to return.
The leaders urged an immediate cease-fire that would secure the release of hostages and enable the delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid, framing this as the foundation for a broader peace effort.
They also emphasized the need for a stabilization roadmap covering the West Bank and Jerusalem's holy sites, while voicing support for reform efforts within the Palestinian Authority.
The statement further backed a comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza under an Arab and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) framework, with international support to strengthen Palestinian leadership.
Participants pledged to work collectively to ensure the success of rebuilding efforts and restore normal life for Gaza's population.
The summit, initiated by Trump and co-hosted with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Jordan's King Abdullah II, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
U.N. investigators recently concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where more than 65,400 people have been killed since October 2023.
