TEL AVIV — Israel’s military brass took US envoy Steve Witkoff on a tour of the devastated Gaza Strip this week, setting the stage for the key White House meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump scheduled for Feb. 4.

Before embarking on the atypical tour, the Israelis showed Witkoff a 47-minute video compilation, dubbed the “horror film” by the military, consisting of real-time footage from Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Witkoff's hosts reported that he had cried. After the screening, the US envoy boarded an Israeli military helicopter, accompanied by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Southern Command leader Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman; and Gaza Division commander Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram.

Witkoff, a real estate developer and close Trump associate, is expected to have significant influence in the months ahead on implementation of the phased Hamas-Israel ceasefire and subsequent reconstruction of Gaza. His hosts were well aware of the tour’s importance. 

“We took him to a huge Hamas tunnel under the Philadelphi route," a senior Israeli diplomatic source told Al-Monitor, speaking on condition of anonymity, referring to the border area between Gaza and Egypt across which Hamas for years smuggled weapons and other material into the besieged enclave. “Witkoff understood the problem, understood the constraints, and also understood who are the good guys here and who are the bad. He has a pragmatic business vision and an excellent sense of people and opportunities. It was an excellent tour.”