Trump envoys see better chance for hostage release in Gaza

By Alexander Cornwell

U.S. officials told families of hostages still held in Gaza they see a better chance of a deal for their release after Washington reached an accord with militant group Hamas for an American hostage's freedom that largely bypassed the Israeli government.

U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler and Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, met families of hostages for almost two hours in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. Of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza, about 20 are said to be alive.

Hamas on Monday released Edan Alexander, the last known living American hostage, ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to the region. Trump arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday.

"I think there’s a better chance now than before," Boehler told reporters in Tel Aviv ahead of meeting the families.

Boehler, who is tasked with securing the release of U.S. hostages, said Hamas could "pull a deal any day they want" and there was "hope of change" following Alexander's release.

Alexander, 21, also an Israeli citizen and soldier, was among the 251 people Israel says were abducted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war.

"They're optimistic, and we've left with some optimism to hear that they have a plan that they hope to implement in the near future," said Udi Goren, cousin of Tal Haimi who was abducted and later confirmed dead. His body is still being held.

The Hostages Families Forum, which represents many families of those held in Gaza, said Boehler and Witkoff told the meeting they would travel to Doha for talks on the war in Gaza.

Israel has announced it is sending a delegation to Qatar. Egypt and Qatar have mediated talks throughout the war and most of the hostages have been released through diplomatic negotiations.

Trump will travel to Qatar this week after Saudi Arabia. He is also set to visit the United Arab Emirates but not Israel.

The families group said Witkoff expressed a preference for a diplomatic resolution and that he believed there was a genuine chance for progress in Doha.

Israel government officials this month authorised an expanded military operation in Gaza that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said would be "intensive" despite dwindling public support in Israel for the war, which is in its 19th month.

The president "is not going to tolerate anything other than everybody coming home and he will be relentless in that pursuit", Witkoff told the families, according to a video released by the forum.

FATHER MORE HOPEFUL

At the Tel Aviv hospital where his son was being treated, Alexander's father, Adi, told reporters on Tuesday that he believed Trump's influence made it more likely that the new negotiations could yield deals for the release of hostages and eventually an end to the war.

"Edan's release is not just about Edan," he said, thanking the U.S. president without mentioning Israel's Netanyahu.

Hamas has said it would release the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and the release of Palestinians in Israeli jails. Israel insists that Hamas must disarm and dismantle its military and governing capabilities as a condition for peace.

Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in its 2023 attack, according to Israeli officials. Israel's retaliatory campaign has levelled Gaza, killing over 52,000 people, mostly civilians, health officials in Gaza say.

U.S. and Israeli officials have sought to publicly project unity, despite Israel's concerns that Washington is pursuing its own Middle East agenda without fully considering Israeli interests.

Speaking in Tel Aviv, Witkoff told reporters that both Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani did an "exceptional job" in securing Alexander’s release.