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U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with the families of Israeli hostages on Saturday, a meeting that took place amid mounting fears for the captives’ survival nearly 22 months into the war with Hamas.
Witkoff was met with both applause and pleas from hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv before the closed-door meeting.
The visit comes a day after Witkoff inspected a U.S.-backed aid station in Gaza to review efforts to deliver food to the Palestinian territory.
Following their meeting, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum released a statement saying Witkoff gave them a personal commitment from himself and President Donald Trump to work for the return of the remaining hostages. Of the 251 people originally taken hostage, 49 are still believed to be held in Gaza, though the Israeli military claims 27 of them are dead.
Families’ anxieties have been heightened by recent propaganda videos released by Hamas and other militant groups, showing hostages, including 24-year-old Evyatar David, looking emaciated.
David’s family accused Hamas of deliberately starving their son as a “vile” propaganda tactic.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also condemned the videos as “despicable” and called for the unconditional release of the hostages.
Meanwhile, peace talks mediated by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar have broken down, increasing domestic pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the hostages’ release.
Israel’s top general, Eyal Zamir, warned that fighting would continue “without rest” if no agreement is reached soon.
He also denied reports of widespread starvation in Gaza, calling such claims “deliberate” and “deceitful.”
However, reports from UN experts and humanitarian agencies indicate a worsening famine in Gaza.
A civil defence spokesman reported that Israeli fire killed 34 people in the territory on Saturday, including five who were waiting for food distribution.
The UN human rights office has stated that at least 1,373 Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza have been killed since late May, with most of those deaths occurring near U.S.-backed aid sites.
The conflict, which began with the Hamas attack in October 2023, has resulted in the deaths of 1,219 Israelis and at least 60,332 Palestinians.
