We had a great team, but it doesn't happen without Donald Trump…The president was responsible for this release, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude, as to all the families,” he said.Witkoff was tapped back in mid-November by Trump.

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, plans to be a near-constant presence in the region in an attempt to prevent the deal from unraveling.

The developer, who is president-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, worked with the main negotiator in the deal.

Trump, who will take office on Monday, has long vowed to bring peace to the war-torn region. He escalated his pressure for a ceasefire in the weeks before the inauguration, threatening “hell to pay” if the hostages remained in captivity. His team was involved in the negotiations for a deal.

Trump's Middle East envoy epitomises the president-elect's disdain for policy wonks and international relations experts

The recent roundtable discussion on the Gaza ceasefire featuring former Israeli peace negotiator Daniel Levy, Gazan analyst Muhammad Shehada and journalist Jeremy Scahill

During his speech, he referred to the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, to audible applause, according to pool reports. He made specific mention of Steve Witkoff, who had a significant hand in the negotiations as the president-elect’s incoming special envoy to the Middle East.

Steve Witkoff, President-elect Trump's chief Middle East negotiator who played a key role in the Hamas-Israeli ceasefire, is a billionaire real estate developer and investor.

Steve Witkoff's meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday came after he held a meeting with Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani

Steve Witkoff, an investor and real estate mogul, has been highlighted as a key figure in securing a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

A ceasefire agreement in Gaza has been reached between Israel and Hamas after more than 15 months of war. The United States, Egypt and Qatar have mediated the long-running efforts