Steve Witkoff brushed off media reports about him allegedly stepping down as laughable nonsense

US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has dismissed rumors about his plans to resign as "fake news," stating he is now more engaged with the Middle East peace process than ever before.

He was reacting to a piece published by the UK-based Middle East Eye (MEE) on Tuesday. It claimed, citing anonymous sources, that Witkoff was about to go back to his private business following months of "grueling" diplomacy that preceded the Gaza peace deal put forward by Trump.

"This story is 100% Fake News and should be immediately retracted," Witkoff said in a post on X on Wednesday, calling the report "laughable nonsense" and expressing his determination to continue working with the Trump administration.

Witkoff played an active role in securing a hostage exchange and a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The US and Israeli media reported earlier this week that he and Jared Kushner met directly with senior Hamas officials in Egypt to seal the deal.

In its Tuesday report, MEE said that the special envoy himself had vowed to remain engaged in the peace process during the implementation of Trump's 20-point plan.

"So we're dug in. We'll be here quite a bit. That's at the direction of the president," Witkoff said on Monday, on the sidelines of the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, attended by Trump and dozens of world leaders.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously also praised the role Witkoff played in facilitating a dialogue between Moscow and Washington on the Ukraine conflict. The special envoy "accurately conveys both Moscow's and Washington's positions" and represents "the position of the American president himself" Putin said, responding to criticism he said could only come from those "not in favor" of the US administration's approach.

(RT.com)