Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Was Gershon Baskin in contact with Steve Witkof on the Sharm El-Sheikh negotiations with Hamas?
Executive summary
Multiple contemporary accounts and interviews show Gershon Baskin says he communicated with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and worked to create back channels between the Americans and Hamas in the run-up to the Sharm el‑Sheikh ceasefire talks; Baskin describes direct contact, including meeting Witkoff in Abu Dhabi and later exchanging cards to advance a back‑channel [1] [2]. Independent reporting also documents that Witkoff met Hamas in Sharm el‑Sheikh and was involved in sealing the October ceasefire deal [3] [4].
1. Baskin’s own account: he says he was in contact with Witkoff
Gershon Baskin, in interviews and his own posts, states repeatedly that from late 2024 into 2025 he made communication with Steve Witkoff a central part of his mediation efforts—traveling to Abu Dhabi, “staking out” Witkoff, speaking with him, exchanging cards, and working to build a secret channel linking the American side and Hamas [2] [1]. Baskin claims he assisted in drafting or conveying an American proposal to Hamas (dated September 8 in his account) that later formed part of the negotiations leading to Sharm el‑Sheikh [2] [5].
2. Independent press: Witkoff met Hamas in Sharm el‑Sheikh
Reporting from outlets including The New York Times and The Times of Israel documents that Steve Witkoff met senior Hamas leaders in Sharm el‑Sheikh and played a visible role in the late‑stage push to seal the hostage‑ceasefire framework in October; the NYT specifically notes Witkoff had met Khalil al‑Hayya in Sharm el‑Sheikh before the signing [3], and The Times of Israel reports Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Hamas leaders at the Four Seasons in Sharm el‑Sheikh to “seal the deal” [4].
3. How the accounts align — and where they differ
Baskin’s narrative and contemporaneous reporting point in the same direction: U.S. envoys (Witkoff among them) were actively engaged with Hamas and other mediators, and Baskin portrays himself as an interlocutor who helped convey or shape U.S. proposals to Hamas [2] [1] [5]. Independent pieces confirm Witkoff’s presence and meetings in Sharm el‑Sheikh [3] [4]. What available sources do not fully resolve are the precise contents of all exchanges between Baskin and Witkoff, the exact dates and operational details of their contacts, and the degree to which Baskin’s back‑channel work was decisive compared with state mediators [2] [1] [3].
4. Corroboration and independent sourcing — strengths and gaps
Strength: Multiple outlets recount Witkoff’s direct engagement with Hamas negotiators at and around Sharm el‑Sheikh [3] [4]. Baskin’s repeated, consistent claims appear across his own writing, interviews, and several media interviews where he names Witkoff as a partner in building a channel to Hamas [2] [1] [5]. Gap: Independent reporting quotes anonymous officials about Witkoff’s meetings but does not explicitly document every private exchange Baskin describes, nor does it independently publish contemporaneous records proving Baskin and Witkoff met in Abu Dhabi or the precise text Baskin says he helped draft [2] [3].
5. Alternative viewpoints and implicit agendas to consider
Baskin is a long‑time mediator who has a public profile and a record of back‑channel work (notably in the Shalit case), which makes his account plausible and newsworthy [6]. At the same time, his framing credits U.S. figures—Trump, Witkoff, Jared Kushner—with decisive roles and positions him as a useful intermediary; that framing serves to emphasize his own relevance and the role of certain political actors [2] [7]. Independent outlets focus on official envoy actions and photographic records from Sharm el‑Sheikh; they are less able to verify private back‑channel steps that involved intermediaries [3] [4].
6. Bottom line for your question
Available reporting supports the claim that Gershon Baskin was in contact with Steve Witkoff in the run‑up to and surrounding the Sharm el‑Sheikh negotiations: Baskin himself says he engaged and exchanged contact with Witkoff to build a back channel to Hamas [2] [1], and independent reporting confirms Witkoff met Hamas negotiators at Sharm el‑Sheikh and played a role in sealing the deal [3] [4]. Available sources do not provide a fully independent, line‑by‑line verification of every private exchange Baskin describes [2] [3].
If you want, I can compile the specific Baskin quotes and the contemporaneous press lines side‑by‑side in a timeline to show where the documentary record overlaps or remains silent (using the same sources above).