Israel’s Dermer meets Witkoff, discusses Iran and Gaza during US visit

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, the country’s chief negotiator in the now-defunct Israel-Hamas ceasefire, met Tuesday in Washington with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, days after Egypt put forward a new proposal to temporarily end fighting in the Strip.

Israel's Kan public broadcaster reported that the meeting took place in Washington on Tuesday. Contacted by Al-Monitor, a White House spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. 

Dermer arrived in Washington to participate in an Israel-US strategic forum, the Israeli media reported. The forum, officially titled the US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group (SCG), convened Tuesday for the first time since President Donald Trump took office in January. Dermer is leading the Israeli team for these talks. US national security adviser Michael Waltz and State Department and Pentagon officials are chairing the US side. 

The talks with Witkoff were expected to focus on Gaza and Iran. Cairo is pushing Hamas and Israel to return to an amended version of the ceasefire after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broke the original deal last week. The Associated Press reported this week that the Egyptian proposal calls for the release of five Israeli hostages held captive in Gaza in exchange for prolonging the ceasefire for a few weeks, the renewal of humanitarian aid flows into Gaza and the release of hundreds Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. The United States is pressuring mediators Qatar and Egypt to convince Hamas to accept this interim deal.

The Times of Israel reported this week that Dermer will also discuss plans for future Israeli military control over the Gaza Strip. Israel resumed fighting in Gaza on March 18, launching both a fierce air campaign and a ground incursion that effectively ended a two-month-long ceasefire. 

Dermer was also expected to discuss the Iranian nuclear program on the visit. Al-Monitor reported Tuesday that the annual report released by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence — which oversees the United States’ collective intelligence agencies — estimated that Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, still has not authorized the country to obtain nuclear weapon. Still, the report said that because of the weakening of Iran’s proxies in the region, Khamenei is increasingly under pressure to formally approve the creation of a nuclear weapon.

In an exclusive, Ben Caspit reported last Friday that Israeli officials hope to convince the Trump administration to reject attempts by Tehran to buy more time for its nuclear program, with the goal of ultimately reaching an understanding on attacking Iran's nuclear facilities. “Our goal is to make Trump aware that Iran is on the verge of a bomb, and we are in a period where you can't blink and you can't take your eyes off the ball,” a senior Israeli military source told Al-Monitor, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“We need to increase the pressure, and we can't let Iran drag its feet and procrastinate to buy time, because it could take advantage of this for a quick nuclear breakout, after which everything will be too late.”