US Envoy Meets Israeli Hostage Families
(MENAFN) US representative for Middle East affairs, Steve Witkoff, met with relatives of Israeli captives in Tel Aviv on Saturday, while hundreds gathered in protest calling for a truce agreement to ensure the captives’ release from the Gaza Strip, according to a newspaper.
This marked Witkoff’s third appearance at Hostage Square since the conflict’s onset. His latest visit followed the circulation of footage by Palestinian factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad showing two visibly malnourished Israeli detainees, Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, which sparked renewed indignation.
Addressing the demonstrators, Witkoff remarked that “most Israelis want the hostages home” and “most Gazans want the hostages home too, they want Gaza rebuilt,” emphasizing that negotiations to liberate the remaining 50 detainees and bring the hostilities to a close were “ongoing.”
Despite the engagement, numerous relatives conveyed disappointment after the session, noting they were left with more uncertainties than clarity, as reported by a daily newspaper.
A day earlier, Witkoff had toured a humanitarian center in southern Gaza managed by the contentious Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
He stated the objective was to offer US President Donald Trump "a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza."
This mission occurred amid escalating backlash concerning US-Israeli cooperation in Gaza, especially over GHF’s aid allocation mechanism.
Palestinian voices have argued that the model acts as a cover for displacement and a “death trap” for aid recipients, with more than 1,300 individuals reportedly killed since May while awaiting humanitarian supplies.
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