Sadiq S BhatWashington, DC — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has indicated that intensive behind-the-scenes work is ongoing to shape the next phase of Gaza peace initiative, stressing that the Trump administration is deliberately keeping details quiet until conditions are ripe for formal announcements.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Leavitt described “a lot of quiet planning underway” involving senior national security officials, regional partners, and stakeholders, but declined to provide a timeline or specifics on the substance of the emerging plan.
When pressed on whether the framework would build on the ceasefire or represent a new approach, Leavitt said only that announcements would be made “at the appropriate time” and that the Trump administration is committed to achieving peace in Gaza.
Leavitt did not offer specifics on timelines or proposals, keeping the focus on ongoing coordination as pressure grows for a clearer roadmap.
On Wednesday, Trump said that an announcement about which world leaders will serve on the Gaza Board of Peace should be made early next year.
Trump added that a variety of leaders want to be on the board, which was established under a Gaza plan that set up a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
"The kings, the presidents, prime ministers - they all want to be on the Board of Peace,” the US President said.
A UN Security Council resolution adopted on November 17 authorised a Board of Peace and countries working with it to establish a temporary International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza.
The resolution, drafted by the US, described the Board of Peace as a transitional administration "that will set the framework, and coordinate funding for, the redevelopment of Gaza” in line with Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
“Frustrated with both sides”
Leavitt turned to Ukraine also, outlining Washington’s view of the battlefield and the support it expects to maintain as the war grinds on.
US will send officials to talks in Europe on Ukraine this weekend if there is a real chance of signing a peace agreement, she added.
The Trump administration has grown weary of multiple meetings that never seem to reach an agreement on ending the war in Ukraine, Leavitt told reporters.
"The president is extremely frustrated with both sides of this war, and he is sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting," she said.
Kiev faces White House pressure to move fast on a peace deal, yet it is resisting recent US plans.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remarked on Thursday that the issue of any potential territorial arrangements under ongoing peace talks must be decided solely by the Ukrainian people.
"I believe the people of Ukraine will answer this question — in the format of elections or in the format of a referendum — but there must be a position of the people of Ukraine," Zelenskyy told journalists, according to RBC-Ukraine news agency.
His remarks came as Kiev continues talks with the US on proposals that include establishing a "free economic" or "demilitarised" zone in parts of the Donetsk region, under which Ukrainian forces would withdraw while Russian troops would be barred from entering.
The latest development comes as Trump spoke by phone with the leaders of France, Germany, and Britain over the prospects for talks in Europe this weekend.
"He wants action for this war to come to an end, and the administration has spent more than 30 hours, this just in the past couple of weeks, meeting with the Russians and the Ukrainians and the Europeans. We'll see about the meetings this weekend, and stay tuned," Leavitt said at the briefing.
On to the Venezuela crisis, the Trump administration intends to seize oil from a tanker that it captured off the coast of Venezuela, she confirmed.
Leavitt defended the US action, saying the tanker was a "sanctioned shadow vessel" that was "known for carrying black market sanctioned oil" to Iran's IRGC.
"The president is committed to stopping the illegal flow of drugs into our country. He's also fully committed to effectuating this administration's sanction policy. And that's what you saw, and the world saw take place yesterday," she said.
