On Friday evening, Steve Witkoff, who serves as US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, stated that Hamas is making “unrealistic” demands behind closed doors, even as it publicly claims to be willing to release hostage Edan Alexander and the remains of four dual-citizen hostages.
“Hamas is making a very poor gamble by believing that time is on its side. That is not the case. Hamas is well aware of the deadline and must understand that we will respond accordingly if it passes,” Witkoff cautioned.
The envoy also shared that on Wednesday, he presented a proposal aimed at extending the ceasefire in Gaza through Ramadan and Passover, which would offer additional time for negotiations aimed at achieving a long-term ceasefire. “According to the mediation proposal, Hamas will release live hostages in exchange for prisoners based on previous formulas. The first stage of the ceasefire will be extended to allow for the resumption of significant humanitarian aid, and the US will work to achieve a stable solution to the ongoing conflict during the extended ceasefire period,” Witkoff explained.
Witkoff emphasized that through mediators from Qatar and Egypt, the US had made it clear to Hamas that the mediation process needed to proceed without delay and that the immediate release of Alexander was essential. “Unfortunately, Hamas has chosen to respond by publicly declaring flexibility while secretly presenting demands that are completely impossible without a permanent ceasefire,” he said.
His remarks came just hours after Hamas claimed it had agreed to release all the remaining American hostages in Gaza. Currently, five American citizens are being held captive in Gaza, with Edan Alexander believed to be the only one still alive. The terrorist group stated, “We agreed to release the kidnapped soldier Edan Alexander, who holds American citizenship, in addition to handing over four additional hostages who are dual citizens.”
Hamas further noted, “We emphasize our willingness to begin negotiations to reach a comprehensive agreement on the second phase – and call on Israel to fully implement its commitments.”
In response, the Prime Minister’s Office dismissed Hamas’ statement, calling it a psychological tactic. “Hamas’ alleged ‘offer’ to release hostages with American citizenship is intended to sabotage negotiations and is mere manipulation,” the statement read. “Hamas has not changed its position one bit, despite the efforts of the Americans and the mediators, and despite our willingness to be flexible.”
The Prime Minister’s Office continued, “While Israel accepted the Witkoff framework, Hamas persists in its refusal and continues to wage psychological warfare against hostage families. The Prime Minister will convene the ministerial team tomorrow evening for a detailed briefing from the negotiating team, and to decide on steps to free the hostages and achieve all our war objectives.”
On Thursday, reports indicated that under Witkoff’s new proposal, the ceasefire could be extended by 50 days, during which Israel would release convicted terrorists in exchange for hostages. Negotiations on the second phase of the deal, which would involve Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza, would resume despite Hamas’ repeated violations of the ceasefire.
While the exact number of hostages to be freed under the proposal is still unclear, indications suggest that five living hostages and nine deceased hostages could be released, some of whom are American citizens.
{Matzav.com}The post Witkoff Warns: Hamas Is Making A Very Poor Gamble, Time Is Not On Its Side first appeared on Matzav.com.