Newsletters
United States President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, on Saturday thanked Türkiye, Qatar, and Egypt for their “critical and integral” roles in mediating the Gaza ceasefire agreement, calling their contributions essential to ending the war.
Speaking before thousands gathered at Hostages’ Square in Tel Aviv ahead of the expected release of Israeli captives under the first phase of the deal, Witkoff praised Arab and Muslim leaders who helped broker the agreement.
“Trump showed the world that strength and peace go hand in hand. They are not opposites—they are partners,” Witkoff said.
“To the Arab leaders and partners of ours who meant so much in this negotiation—including President Erdogan from Türkiye, Sheikh Mohammed (bin Abdulrahman) and the Emir of Qatar, and President Sisi of Egypt—all of whom played a critical and integral role in this peace deal, I say thank you.”
Witkoff also thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a remark that drew boos from the crowd.
Each time Netanyahu’s name was mentioned, the audience reacted by chanting in Hebrew, “Shame, shame, shame,” a slogan frequently used during anti-Netanyahu protests.
Behind Witkoff, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were seen exchanging smiles as the scene unfolded. When Witkoff mentioned Trump, however, the audience erupted in applause, chanting, “Thank you, Trump.”
According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, representatives of hostage families met earlier in Tel Aviv with Witkoff and Kushner before the envoys’ speech.
Saturday’s rally drew thousands of Israelis as preparations continued for implementing the first phase of the ceasefire, under which hostages held in Gaza are to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The event also featured speeches from Kushner and Ivanka Trump.
Tel Aviv estimates that 48 Israelis remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive, while more than 11,100 Palestinians are imprisoned in Israel—many reportedly suffering from torture, starvation and medical neglect, conditions that have led to deaths, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups.
The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect Friday at noon (0900 GMT).
Israeli forces completed their gradual withdrawal to the “yellow line” that afternoon, triggering a 72-hour window for the exchange process.
A second phase of the U.S.-brokered plan envisions establishing a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas, forming a joint security force of Palestinians and troops from Arab and Islamic countries, and disarming Hamas.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed over 67,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children, leaving much of the enclave uninhabitable.
1 min read
4 min read
