Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's envoy to the Middle East, said on Friday evening that Hamas is making "unrealistic" demands behind the scenes, despite publicly expressing willingness 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 warned. The envoy also revealed that last Wednesday, he presented a mediation proposal aimed at extending the ceasefire in Gaza through Ramadan and Passover to provide more time for negotiations toward a permanent 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," said Witkoff. He emphasized that through Qatari and Egyptian intermediaries, the US made it clear to Hamas that the mediation must proceed without delay and that Alexander must be released immediately. "Unfortunately, Hamas has chosen to respond by publicly declaring flexibility while secretly presenting demands that are completely impossible without a permanent ceasefire," he stated. (Read More)
