US envoy Steve Witkoff recently held a poignant meeting with the anguished families of Israeli hostages, still held captive in Gaza. This crucial encounter in Tel Aviv unfolded amidst escalating fears for the survival of the captives, nearly 22 months into the devastating conflict sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack, highlighting the grim realities of the Gaza War.
Witkoff’s arrival was met with a mix of applause and desperate pleas for assistance from hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv. Before entering a closed session with the families, videos shared online captured the emotional atmosphere as families chanted “Bring them home!” and “We need your help,” underscoring the profound human cost of the Middle East Conflict.
The visit to Tel Aviv followed Witkoff’s inspection of a US-backed aid station in Gaza the previous day. This demonstrated ongoing efforts to facilitate the entry of essential food supplies into the war-torn Palestinian territory, addressing the severe humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.
Among those present was Yotam Cohen, brother of 21-year-old hostage Nimrod Cohen, who powerfully articulated to AFP the urgent need for the war to cease. He emphasized that the Israeli government must be compelled to end the conflict, asserting that it was refusing to do so willingly, a sentiment echoed by many.
Following the meeting, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum released a statement indicating that Witkoff had offered a personal commitment. He assured the families that both he and US President Donald Trump would actively work towards securing the release of the remaining Israeli Hostages, signaling continued US Diplomacy.
The United States, alongside Egypt and Qatar, had been actively mediating ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel. These negotiations aimed to secure the release of captives and enable a more consistent flow of humanitarian aid, but unfortunately, these critical Israel-Hamas ceasefire discussions broke down last month.
Consequently, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government faces mounting domestic pressure to devise alternative strategies for securing the return of the missing hostages, both alive and deceased. Despite this, Israel’s top general warned of no respite in fighting in Gaza if the hostages were not released.
Of the 251 individuals abducted from Israel during Hamas’s October 2023 attack, military figures indicate that 49 currently remain in Gaza, with 27 of them confirmed dead. Accusations of intentional starvation against the IDF were denounced by the general as a “deliberate, timed, and deceitful attempt to accuse the IDF, a moral army, of war crimes.”
Further compounding the crisis, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal reported that two people were killed and 26 injured after an Israeli strike on a central Gaza area where Palestinians had gathered near a food distribution point run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. This incident, along with other Saturday bombings near Khan Yunis and Gaza City, adds to the tragic statistics of the UN human rights office, which reported at least 1,373 Palestinians seeking aid had been killed since May 27, mostly by the Israeli military, though Israel insists soldiers never deliberately target civilians and accuses Hamas of looting aid trucks.
