Gaza ceasefire talks hold ‘genuine chance’ for progress, says US envoy

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff said Tuesday that there is a “genuine chance” for progress in negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange.

Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, held a meeting in Tel Aviv with the families of Israeli hostages in Gaza.

“During the nearly two-hour meeting, both officials emphasized their personal commitment to bringing back all 58 remaining hostages – both the living and the deceased,” the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.

Witkoff “assured the families that if he and Boehler didn't believe there was a genuine chance for progress in negotiations, they would not be making the trip to Doha,” it added.

Israeli Channel 12 earlier reported that Witkoff and Boehler, who arrived in Israel to oversee the release of Israeli American captive Edan Alexander from Gaza on Monday, will head to the Qatari capital to participate in negotiations for a potential hostage release deal.

The Palestinian group Hamas confirmed Monday that Alexander was released following communications with Washington as part of ongoing efforts to secure a cease-fire in Gaza.

Israel estimates that 58 Israeli captives remain in Gaza, including 21 who are still alive. Meanwhile, more than 9,900 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons, where they face torture, starvation, and medical neglect – conditions that have led to multiple deaths, according to reports by Palestinian and Israeli media and human rights organizations.

The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 52,900 Palestinians since October 2023, mostly women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.