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Witkoff held meetings with senior officials from Qatar, Israel and the United States, seeking compromise on key issues, according to Reuters and the Financial Times.

Despite the progress made, some aspects of the agreement remain unresolved. One of the main problems is the fate of the hostages.

Israel insists on obtaining proof that the hostages are alive, fearing that Hamas may only return their bodies. These concerns have intensified following Hamas’ announcement of “missing hostages” as a result of intense Israeli airstrikes in the northern Gaza Strip.

Another controversial topic remains the possible withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Philadelphia Corridor, a strategically important border zone located on the border with Egypt. This step causes a lot of disagreement and requires detailed study to achieve consensus.

Earlier, the American portal Axios reported that the Israeli leadership plans to maintain the IDF military presence in three strategically important areas of southern Lebanon even after the end of the ceasefire. The move, according to senior Israeli sources, was agreed upon by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi as part of an overall security strategy.

However, such an initiative is causing controversy in the United States. President Joe Biden opposes the continuation of the Israeli military presence in Lebanon, believing that this could lead to an aggravation of the situation in the region. At the same time, President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20, 2025, is likely to support the Israeli plan, given his past loyalty to Israel.

An official ceasefire in Lebanon is scheduled for January 27, 2025, giving Israel limited time to prepare further actions. Experts believe that Trump’s position will play a decisive role in the implementation of the Israeli government’s strategy.

Besides, Axios writes that both American administrations – the current Biden and the future Trump – have joined forces to support the new Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. Negotiations on this topic were conducted with the participation of US Special Representative Amos Hochstein, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Trump’s new adviser Mike Waltz.

According to the publication, the parties reached an agreement on a joint strategy aimed at preventing the return of Hezbollah to the Lebanese political system. Hochstein also briefed Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, on key aspects of coordination.