U.S. and Israeli Officials Float Idea of ‘All or Nothing' Gaza Deal
With the talks now at an impasse, American and Israeli officials appear to be sharply changing their tone by signaling that they will push for a comprehensive deal. But Israel and Hamas remain far apart, and it was unclear if a new approach would be more likely to secure an agreement.
The shift, at least in rhetoric, comes as the Israeli government faces rising domestic pressure to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza. Israel believes that about 20 are still alive and that the bodies of another 30 remain in the enclave. Videos released over the weekend showed two living captives looking emaciated and frail, shocking many Israelis and sparking fear among the hostages' families.
The Israeli government has also come under mounting international criticism over the mass hunger that has spread through Gaza's population of about 2 million people after Israel imposed strict restrictions in recent months on the entry of aid.
Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration's special envoy to the Middle East, who is visiting the region, met with families of Israeli hostages on Saturday and told them that President Trump now wants to see all the living hostages released at once.
'No piecemeal deals, that doesn't work,' he said, according to an audio recording of part of the meeting published by the Ynet Hebrew news site.
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