US envoy meets Israeli hostage families in Tel Aviv
Witkoff was greeted with some applause and pleas for assistance from hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, before going into a closed meeting with the families.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum confirmed the meeting was underway and videos shared online showed Witkoff arriving as families chanted "Bring them home!" and "We need your help."
The visit came one day after Witkoff visited a US-backed aid station in Gaza, to inspect efforts to get food into the devastated Palestinian territory.
Yotam Cohen, brother of 21-year-old hostage Nimrod Cohen, told AFP in the square: "The war needs to end. The Israeli government will not end it willingly. It has refused to do so.
"The Israeli government must be stopped. For our sakes, for our soldiers' sakes, for our hostages' sakes, for our sons and for the future generations of everybody in the Middle East."
After the meeting, the Forum released a statement saying that Witkoff had given them a personal commitment that he and US President Donald Trump would work to return the remaining hostages.
The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, had been mediating ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel that would allow the hostages to be released and humanitarian aid to flow more freely.
But talks broke down last month and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is under increasing domestic pressure to come up with another way to secure the missing hostages, alive and dead.
He is also facing international calls to open Gaza's borders to more food aid, after UN and humanitarian agencies warned that more than two million Palestinian civilians are facing starvation.
- 'Without rest' -
But Israel's top general warned that there would be no respite in fighting in Gaza if the hostages were not released.
"I estimate that in the coming days we will know whether we can reach an agreement for the release of our hostages," said army chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, according to a military statement.
"If not, the combat will continue without rest," he said, during remarks to officers inside Gaza on Friday.
Of the 251 people who were kidnapped from Israel during Hamas's attack in October 2023, 49 remain in Gaza, 27 of them dead, according to the military.
Palestinian armed groups this week released two videos of hostages looking emaciated and weak.
Zamir denied that there was widespread starvation in Gaza.
"The current campaign of false accusations of intentional starvation is a deliberate, timed, and deceitful attempt to accuse the IDF (Israeli military), a moral army, of war crimes," he said.
"The ones responsible for the killing and suffering of the residents in the Gaza Strip is Hamas."
Hamas's 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures.
A total of 898 Israeli soldiers have also been killed, according to the military.
Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,332 people, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN.
- Civilian deaths -
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed 21 people in the territory on Saturday.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said two people were killed and another 26 injured after an Israeli strike on a central Gaza area where Palestinians had gathered before a food distribution point run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
He added that Saturday's bombings mostly targeted the areas near the southern city of Khan Yunis and Gaza City in the north.
Witkoff visited another GHF site for five hours on Friday, promising that Trump would come up with a plan to better feed civilians.
Adnan Abu Hasna, of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, told AFP that the agency had "approximately 6,000 trucks ready for the Gaza Strip, but the crossings are closed by political decision. There are five land crossings into the Strip through which 1,000 trucks can enter daily."
The UN human rights office in the Palestinian territories on Friday said at least 1,373 Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza had been killed since May 27, most of them by the Israeli military.
Israel's military insist that soldiers never deliberately target civilians and accuses Hamas fighters of looting UN and humanitarian aid trucks.
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman listens as U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) speaks during the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 14. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman listens as U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) speaks during the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 14. Alex Brandon/AP The Balance of Pressure Saudi Arabia's relationship with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was forged early on in the history of the kingdom. Saudi Arabia, which was proclaimed by founder King Ibn Saud in 1932, was among the Arab nations to reject the United Nations' Israeli-Palestinian partition plan in 1947 and send troops to battle the newly declared Israel the following year. 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Eyad Alrefai, an instructor at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia, argued that "Saudi Arabia's efforts to pressure Israel regarding its actions, particularly in Gaza, are part of a broader goal to achieve a more balanced and equitable approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." This includes acknowledging that Hamas' rule over Gaza, which the group seized from the PA amid post-election clashes in 2007, and the lingering disunity has only brought setbacks to the Palestinian statehood cause. "The Kingdom recognizes that for any meaningful progress to materialize, it is crucial to address the internal divisions among Palestinians," Alrefai told Newsweek. "The governance of Gaza by Hamas has often been marked by conflict, political infighting, and a lack of a cohesive and strategic approach in negotiations with Israel." "This fragmentation complicates the prospects for peace and undermines the credibility of Palestinian leadership in the eyes of the international community," Alrefai said. Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead of a ceremony to hand over Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, on February 22. Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead of a ceremony to hand over Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, on February 22. Abdel Kareem Hana/AP A 'Multifaceted Strategy' Thus far, Hamas has publicly pushed back at the Arab demand for disarmament, particularly after media outlets cited President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East and lead Israel-Hamas negotiator, Steve Witkoff, as saying the group had agreed to such terms. "We reaffirm that the resistance and its arms represent a national and legal right as long as the occupation remains in place—a right recognized by international charters and conventions," Hamas said in a statement issued Saturday. "We will never relinquish this right until all our national rights are restored, foremost among them the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital," the group added. Yet Alrefai pointed out that Riyadh's "pragmatic strategy" in "setting clear terms for Hamas" could prove pivotal in shifting the dynamics of the conflict, especially in a way that paved the path for an empowered PA. "By advocating for the cessation of Hamas's rule in Gaza and facilitating a transfer of power to the Palestinian National Authority, Saudi Arabia seeks to promote a unified Palestinian leadership," Alrefai said. "This unification is essential, as it could result in a more credible negotiating partner for both Israel and the international community." "A consolidated Palestinian front would likely be viewed as more legitimate and effective," he added, "opening the door for greater international support for peace initiatives." Alrefai pointed out that Saudi Arabia had "has several strategic tools at its disposal to pressure Hamas into compliance with a peace agreement that facilitates the transfer of power in Gaza to the Palestinian National Authority." "These include leveraging diplomatic influence within the Arab League and among Muslim nations to politically isolate Hamas, providing economic incentives such as financial support to the PNA contingent on Hamas relinquishing control, and mediating reconciliation initiatives to foster dialogue between Hamas and the PNA that lead to power sharing or a full transfer of power," Alrefai said. "Additionally," he added, "mobilizing public opinion across the Arab world can increase pressure on Hamas to comply with expectations for a unified Palestinian leadership, while offering security assistance to the PNA can enhance its governance capabilities, serving as a deterrent against Hamas's continued rule." At the same time, Saudi Arabia could also "pressure Israel," he argued, by utilizing "the prospect of normalizing relations, working with global powers to advocate for a unified stance that calls for an end to the occupation and supports Palestinian statehood." Reports indicate that Saudi Arabia and Israel had discussed normalization under the auspices of the U.S. in the lead-up to Hamas' October 2023 surprise attack that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza. The kingdom has maintained, however, that such a move could only be taken in the event of a framework that would pave the way for Palestinian statehood, now the crux of Saudi Arabia's diplomatic push in Gaza. This "multifaceted strategy," as Alrefai described it, "involves diplomatic, economic, and security measures aimed at unifying Palestinian leadership while leveraging its influence to encourage Israel's compliance with a peace agreement." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the audience at a conference in Jerusalem on July 27. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the audience at a conference in Jerusalem on July 27. Ohad Zwigenberg/AP 'Not a Magic Wand' Given its long-standing relationship with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Saudi Arabia is no stranger to peace initiatives. As far back as 1981, then-Crown Prince and future King Fahd proposed an eight-point plan that called for an Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied after the 1967 Six-Day War—including Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem—as well as the Palestinian right to return and the establishment of a Palestinian state. A second Saudi-led proposal was launched in 2002, the "Arab Peace Initiative," which was built upon the 1981 framework, this time offering Arab-Israeli normalization in exchange for Israeli withdrawals and Palestinian statehood. The 2002 plan, though opposed by Israel and sidestepped by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco through their establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel via the Abraham Accords, continues to serve broadly as the basis for the Arab League's position. Saudi Arabia has also previously weighed in on the rift between Hamas and the PA's leading Fatah faction, overseeing the 2007 Mecca Agreement that sought to establish an ultimately unrealized Palestinian unity government. "Collectively, these efforts represent a continuous narrative of Saudi initiatives designed to lay a political and security foundation upon which a viable Palestinian state can be established," Hesham Alghannam, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Middle East Center and director general of Naïf Arab University for Security Sciences' Strategic Studies and National Security Programs, told Newsweek. Now, Alghannam argued, the recent "New York Declaration" represents a new chapter in Saudi Arabia's historic engagement on the issue, through its "calling for an immediate cessation of the Gaza war, affirming that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the future Palestinian state, and demanding its unification with the West Bank under the principle of 'one state, one weapon,' achieved through disarming Hamas and transferring all weaponry to the Palestinian Authority's security forces." He warned, however, that such a declaration, as with past initiatives, was "not a magic wand." It would require not only Israeli buy-in, he said, but also the kind of international guarantees that eluded the 1990s Oslo peace accords, which established the PA but were followed by renewed violence rather than the era of peace that was promised. As such, Alghannam explained that the new initiative "advocates for a comprehensive package of international guarantees linking the disarmament of factions to tangible steps: halting settlements, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian cities and territories, establishing a multinational peacekeeping force to manage the security vacuum in Gaza, and a reconstruction aid package conditioned upon sustained calm." "Without these safeguards," he said, "the principle of 'one weapon' risks becoming 'no weapon' in the face of annexation bulldozers." Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas listens to Russian President Vladimir Putin (not pictured) during their talks in the Grand Palace at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 10. Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas listens to Russian President Vladimir Putin (not pictured) during their talks in the Grand Palace at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 10. Sergei Bobylev/RIA Novosti/AP Opening the Door Even with support from Saudi Arabia and other nations, the PA finds itself in a fraught position as the war in Gaza approaches the two-year mark on October 7. At 89 years old, PA President Mahmoud Abbas is as old as Saudi King Salman, yet the Palestinian leader lacks a clear successor. The Palestinian leader's two-decade rule has been increasingly subject to claims of corruption, calls for new elections and challenges from both Israel and Hamas. On one side, Israeli officials also accuse the PA of tolerating militant groups and Netanyahu himself has objected to the replacement of Hamas with a "Fatah-stan." On the other, supporters of the more popular Hamas and other armed factions accuse Abbas' administration of too closely cooperating with Israel and have undermined his government through independent activity. Such unrest, coupled with growing Israeli military and settler activity, has turned the West Bank into a war zone on the sidelines of the war in Gaza, further eroding the PA's position and throwing into question the very viability of Palestinian statehood. The hope, according to Alrefai, would be that Saudi intervention could serve as a much-needed boost to the PA's fragile position. "As the PNA garners increased international recognition, Saudi Arabia's endorsement of it over Hamas will serve to enhance the PNA's legitimacy," Alrefai said. "This elevation in status could translate into increased international aid and support for Palestinian state-building efforts, which are vital for the long-term viability and sustainability of a Palestinian state." But there are "significant challenges" involved with such an endeavor, Alrefai said, not least of which include the fact that "Hamas commands substantial support in Gaza, and any attempt to curtail its influence could provoke backlash and lead to further conflict." "The deep-rooted historical grievances and the intricate dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict imply that any transition must be managed with great care to avoid exacerbating existing tensions," he said. Meanwhile, Alghannam said "several critical aspects remain overlooked" as the debate plays out over how Saudi Arabia could play a substantial role on this front. "Reforming the Palestinian Authority—including elections, transparency, and modernization of security forces—is imperative to ensure that disarmament does not translate into unilateral dismantlement of national legitimacy," Alghannam said. "Transitional justice regarding crimes committed in Gaza and the West Bank is essential to prevent cycles of violence." "Economic recovery is even more urgent than constitutional arrangements," he added, "a collapsed economy will create a vacuum quickly filled by more extremist factions." Perhaps even more difficult to approach will be what Alghannam calls "the refugee issue—right of return or compensation," which he said "must be addressed from the outset rather than postponed to 'final status' negotiations, or the agreement risks being suspended in legal and moral limbo." So, while he felt that "the two-state solution remains the most persuasive framework," he argued at the same that "its success hinges on three indivisible components: an Israeli willingness to transcend settlement ideology, international guarantees that are implemented rather than merely promised, and unified Palestinian performance capable of consolidating arms under law instead of shattering it at the first test." "Saudi Arabia has once again opened the door," Alghannam said. "It is now incumbent upon the international community to demonstrate it has learned from Oslo's failure, ensuring this time the clauses are not written with the same ink used to sketch expansionist plans onto maps of the West Bank."
