President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said Sunday that he would aim to negotiate an ‘extension’ of Phase One of the Israel-Hamas hostage release and ceasefire deal when he returns to the region this week.
‘We have to get an extension of Phase One. And, so I’ll be going into the region this week, probably Wednesday, to negotiate that,’ Witkoff said during an appearance on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’ ‘And we’re hoping you have the proper time to finish off to begin Phase Two and finish it off and get more hostages released. And move this – move the discussion forward.’
Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidante of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reportedly met with Witkoff in Washington, D.C., last week.
In regard to the meeting, CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Witkoff if he believes Netanyahu ‘wants to move forward with the ceasefire, or does he want to resume the war to try to eliminate Hamas?’
Witkoff said he believes the prime minister ‘is well-motivated’ and wants to see ‘the hostages released,’ as well ‘to protect the state of Israel.’
‘And so he’s got a red line,’ Witkoff said. ‘And he said what the red line is, and that is that Hamas cannot be involved in a governing body when this thing is resolved.’
‘They can’t be any part of governance in Gaza,’ the U.S. envoy said of Hamas. ‘And, you know, as to existing, I’d leave that – that detail to the prime minister.’
In another Sunday show appearance on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation,’ Witkoff said he would arrive ‘probably Wednesday evening’ in the Middle East and would visit various countries, including Qatar, Egypt, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. He added that the last remaining living American hostage, Edan Alexander, remains a top priority in negotiations.
‘He’s front and center for us,’ Witkoff said. ‘I know his parents. We talk all the time. He’s critical. It’s one of President Trump’s most important objectives is to get all Americans home. And we’re going to be successful in getting Edan home, I believe.’
According to the May 27 protocol agreement, Witkoff explained that Phase Two involves both ‘a permanent ceasefire, a cessation of all violence,’ as well as ‘the fact that Hamas cannot be allowed to come back into the government’ in Gaza.
‘And I think the way you square that circle is that Hamas has to go. They’ve got to leave,’ Witkoff said, adding, ‘I would say physically, that’s correct.’ The envoy said he was not at liberty to say which countries might take in people from Gaza during ongoing negotiations, but stressed that Gaza would not be a safe living environment for another 15 to 20 years following the war and requires an extension reconstruction plan.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced Saturday night that ‘in light of Hamas’s repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies.’
In a video message Friday, Netanyahu condemned how Hamas ‘brutally murdered’ two young Israeli boys, whose bodies were initially returned to Israel without the remains of their mother, Shiri Bibas. In what Netanyahu decried as a ‘brazen violation of their agreement,’ Hamas initially handed over the wrong body for Bibas, whose actual remains were later returned and identified Saturday following an intense standoff with the terrorist group.
Hamas handed over another six Israelis on Saturday in the latest scheduled release of living hostages.