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Trump's Middle East envoy meets in Israel with hostage families and former hostages

Steve Witkoff expressed his commitment to bring all hostages home. He added that he and Trump will do everything possible to achieve that goal.

Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy.Patrick T. Fallon / AFP

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Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, who is visiting Israel, met Thursday with former Hamas captives and relatives of people still being held in the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian terrorist group.

The meetings coincide with the release of eight hostages, three Israelis and five Thai nationals, who returned to Israel on Thursday after being held 482 in captivity in Gaza.

The envoy visited the hostages released last Saturday, Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa and Naama Levy, at Beilinson Hospital in the Israeli town of Petah Tikva.

He then headed to the Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where he spoke with relatives of hostages.

Witkoff expressed his commitment to bring all the hostages back home. And he added that both he and Trump will do everything possible to achieve that goal.

Trump's Middle East envoy also expressed hope that the ceasefire will hold. He added that the U.S. citizens still held hostage in Gaza are of utmost importance to his country.

‘You and Trump are the real heroes’

Yocheved Lifshitz (85), a former Hamas hostage, told Witkoff that her husband Oded is still being held hostage.

Yoecheved and Oded's son handed the official the yellow badge in solidarity with the hostages and the official pinned it on his coat lapel.

Jimmy Miller, a cousin of Shiri Bibas, wife of Yarden and mother of Ariel and Kfir, an entire family kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, and who became a symbol of the struggle for the hostages' release, showed Witkoff a drawing of Batman that young Ariel drew, and remarked that the boy is a fan of superheroes. "For us, you and Trump are the real heroes," he stated.

Witkoff's meeting with Netanyahu

Witkoff arrived in Israel on Wednesday from Saudi Arabia, and met earlier in the day with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after visiting Gaza.

Israeli newspaper Ynet indicated that before arriving in Israel, Witkoff held talks with Saudi authorities on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Jerusalem and Hamas, the reconstruction of Gaza and a possible treaty for the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and the Jewish state.

Qatari channel Al Arabi reported that during his meeting with Netanyahu, Witkoff pledged to hinder the reconstruction of northern Gaza until security plans for Israel's border communities are agreed upon.

The Arab media outlet added that in a meeting prior to the announcement of the ceasefire agreement, he detailed a U.S. plan that includes security projects funded by the U.S. and allied Gulf countries to ensure that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israeli communities near that territory.

Al Arabi said that, in this way, Washington seeks to pressure Netanyahu to uphold the agreement and encourage Palestinian emigration from Gaza.

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