U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff (L) arrives to conscionable families of Israelis held hostage by Palestinian militants successful the Gaza Strip since October 2023 arsenic they show successful Tel Aviv's 'Hostage' quadrate connected August 2, 2025. Witkoff met the anguished families arsenic fears for the captives' endurance mounted astir 22 months into the war.
- | Afp | Getty Images
U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy told families of hostages being held by Palestinian militant radical Hamas connected Saturday that helium was moving with the Israeli authorities connected a program that would efficaciously extremity the warfare successful Gaza.
Trump has made ending the struggle a large precedence of his administration, though negotiations person faltered. Steve Witkoff is visiting Israel arsenic its authorities faces mounting unit implicit the deteriorating humanitarian conditions successful the enclave.
In a signaling of the meeting, reviewed by Reuters, Witkoff is heard saying: "We person a very, precise bully program that we're moving connected collectively with the Israeli government, with Prime Minister Netanyahu ... for the reconstruction of Gaza. That efficaciously means the extremity of the war."
The White House did not instantly respond to a petition for remark connected his remarks.
Witkoff besides said that Hamas was prepared to disarm successful bid to extremity the war, though the radical has repeatedly said it volition not laic down its weapons.
In response, Hamas, which has dominated Gaza since 2007 but has been militarily battered by Israel successful the war, said it would not relinquish "armed resistance" unless an "independent, afloat sovereign Palestinian authorities with Jerusalem arsenic its capital" was established.
Indirect negotiations betwixt Hamas and Israel aimed astatine securing a 60-day ceasefire successful the Gaza warfare and woody for the merchandise of fractional the hostages ended past week successful deadlock.
Families of Israelis held hostage successful the Gaza Strip since October 2023 show successful Tel Aviv's 'Hostage' quadrate during U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff's sojourn connected August 2, 2025. Witkoff met the anguished families arsenic fears for the captives' endurance mounted astir 22 months into the war.
Jack Guez | Afp | Getty Images
On Saturday, Hamas released its 2nd video successful 2 days of Israeli hostage Evyatar David. In it, David, skeletally thin, is shown digging a hole, which, helium says successful the video, is for his ain grave.
"They are connected the implicit brink of death," David's member Ilay said astatine a rally successful enactment of the hostages successful Tel Aviv, wherever thousands gathered holding posters of those successful captivity and chanted for their contiguous release.
"In the existent unimaginable condition, they whitethorn person lone days near to live."
Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar said the "world cannot stay soundless successful the look of the hard images that are the effect of deliberate sadistic maltreatment of the hostages, which besides includes starvation".
Witkoff, who arrived successful Israel with Benjamin Netanyahu's authorities facing a planetary outcry implicit the devastation successful Gaza and the starvation increasing among its 2.2 cardinal people, met the premier curate connected Thursday.
Afterwards, a elder Israeli authoritative said an knowing betwixt Israel and Washington was emerging that determination was a request to determination from a program to merchandise immoderate of the hostages to a program to merchandise each the hostages, disarm Hamas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip, echoing Israel's cardinal demands for ending the war.
Gaza starvation
On Tuesday, Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating ceasefire efforts, endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As portion of it, they said Hamas indispensable manus implicit its arms to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
The situation successful Gaza has besides prompted a drawstring of Western powers to denote they whitethorn recognise a Palestinian state.
On Friday, Witkoff visited a U.S.-backed assistance cognition successful confederate Gaza, which the United Nations has partially blamed for deadly conditions successful the enclave, saying helium sought to get nutrient and different assistance to radical there.
Dozens person died of malnutrition successful caller weeks aft Israel chopped disconnected each supplies to the enclave for astir 3 months from March to May, according to Gaza's wellness ministry. It said connected Saturday that it had recorded 7 much fatalities, including a child, since Friday.
Palestinians stitchery astatine an assistance organisation constituent adjacent the Zikim borderline crossing successful a hopeless effort to person constricted flour supplies successful Gaza City, Gaza, connected July 29, 2025.
Ali Jadallah | Anadolu | Getty Images
Israel blames Hamas for the suffering successful Gaza and says it is taking steps for much assistance to scope its population, including pausing warring for portion of the time successful immoderate areas, aerial drops and announcing protected routes for assistance convoys.
U.N. agencies person said that airdrops of nutrient are insufficient and that Israel indispensable fto successful acold much assistance by onshore and rapidly easiness the entree to it.
The Gaza warfare began erstwhile Hamas killed much than 1,200 radical and took 251 hostage successful an onslaught connected confederate Israel connected October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's violative has since killed much than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza wellness officials.
According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages present stay successful Gaza, lone 20 of whom are believed to beryllium alive.
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