By Steve Holland

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 26, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab

WASHINGTON, Aug 27 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump was presiding over a policy meeting on the Gaza war on Wednesday with input from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Trump Middle East envoy Jared Kushner, a senior White House official said.

Trump, top White House officials, Blair and Kushner were discussing all aspects of the Gaza issue, including escalating food aid deliveries, the hostage crisis, post-war plans and more, the official told Reuters.

The official described the session as “simply a policy meeting,” the type frequently held by Trump and his team.

Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, was a key White House adviser in Trump’s first term on Middle East issues. Blair, who was prime minister during the 2003 Iraq war, has also been active on Middle East issues.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff previewed the meeting in an appearance on Fox News’ “Special Reporting with Bret Baier” on Tuesday.

“It is a very comprehensive plan we are putting together on the next day (in Gaza) and many people are going to see how robust it is and how well meaning it is and it reflects President Trump’s humanitarian motives here,” Witkoff said.

Trump had promised a quick end to the war in Gaza during last year’s presidential campaign but a resolution has been elusive seven months into his second term.

Trump’s term began with a ceasefire which lasted two months, until Israeli strikes killed around 400 Palestinians on March 18. More recently, images of starving Palestinians in Gaza, including children, have shocked the world and fed criticism of Israel over the deteriorating conditions.

“President Trump has been clear that he wants the war to end, and he wants peace and prosperity for everyone in the region. The White House has nothing additional to share on the meeting at this time,” a second White House official said.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Suggested Topics:

Read Next

ANALYSIS Inside Trump’s DC crackdown: Swarms of agents and arrests for minor offenses

Israel launched on Wednesday a series of strikes on former army barracks in Kiswa, in the southwestern Damascus countryside, two Syrian army sources and state-run El Ekhbariya TV reported, making it the second attack within 24 hours.

Site Index

About Reuters

Stay Informed

Information you can trust

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world’s media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.

Read More