Trump Hosts Blair, Kushner on Gaza Future as Israel Widens Gaza City Offensive

Israeli forces intensified ground and air operations on the outskirts of Gaza City on Wednesday, saying troops were working to “locate and dismantle terrorist infrastructure” ahead of a planned push into the enclave’s largest urban center. Gaza’s civil defense agency reported at least 38 Palestinian deaths during the day’s bombardment, adding to a war toll that local health officials say now exceeds 62,000 people since October 2023. The military escalation coincided with a White House policy session chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump and attended by former U.K. prime minister Tony Blair and former presidential adviser Jared Kushner, according to a senior administration official. Envoy Steve Witkoff said the meeting explored post-war governance, expanded food-aid corridors and options for freeing the 49 hostages still held by Hamas. The discussion forms part of what Witkoff called “a comprehensive day-after plan” for Gaza. Trump’s team has previously floated a controversial redevelopment blueprint—dubbed “Riviera Gaza”—that would strip Hamas of control and turn the coastal territory into a tourism and commercial hub. Blair’s institute has also consulted on reconstruction ideas, though both proposals have drawn sharp criticism from regional governments and human-rights groups that view them as ignoring Palestinian self-determination. Diplomatic efforts continue in parallel to the fighting. Hamas has accepted a mediators’ proposal for a 60-day cease-fire that would exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners; Israel has yet to give its response. With the United Nations formally declaring a famine in Gaza after nearly two years of conflict, international pressure is mounting on both Jerusalem and Washington to halt the offensive and secure a durable settlement.