US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Qatari Prime Minister Abdulrahman al-Thani in Spain on Saturday to discuss an end to the Gaza war and the release of all 50 remaining hostages, the Axios news site reported, amid an apparent flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at heading off an Israeli plan to expand its Gaza offensive and occupy Gaza City.

Meanwhile, Ynet cited sources affiliated with Hamas as saying that the US, Qatar and Egypt were mediating in intense negotiations with Israel to prevent it from taking over the entire Gaza Strip, after the cabinet decided overnight Thursday-Friday to conquer Gaza City and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s intention was to temporarily take control of all of Gaza.

The hostage-ceasefire proposal on the table includes an end to the war, full Israeli withdrawal, demilitarization of Palestinian armed groups, exile of Hamas’s military leaders and the establishment of a new civilian authority for Gaza, the sources were cited as saying, adding that Hamas was prepared to resume the fighting if the offer were rejected.

The two reports came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to endorse Israeli designs for Gaza while blaming the impasse in the truce-hostage talks in part on France’s decision to recognize Palestinian statehood.

Witkoff and al-Thani met in Ibiza as Qatar and the US hoped to present a comprehensive true-hostage deal proposal to Israel and Hamas within the next two weeks, Axios said, citing two sources familiar with the meeting. The White House did not comment.

An Israeli cabinet minister cited by the news site said Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer informed the cabinet on Thursday that Washington was working on an “End Game” proposal for the war. It was unclear........

© The Times of Israel