US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is heading back to the region this week. Witkoff told CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ on Sunday that he plans to travel to the region on Wednesday.
“We have to get an extension of Phase 1 [of the hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas],” he said, adding that he will be actively involved in negotiating the terms of the extended agreement.
“We’re hopeful that we have the proper time to … begin Phase 2 and finish it off, and get more hostages released and move the discussion forward,” he said.
Sixty-three hostages remain captive in Gaza, including the bodies of four hostages set to be freed in the final tranche of Phase 1, as yet unnamed, this coming Thursday.
Recent estimates claim only 21 of the remaining hostages are still among the living.
Israel chose not to release more than 600 terrorists who were due to be exchanged for four dead hostages and six living hostages this past week, after Hamas repeatedly violated the agreement, including with macabre ceremonies designed to further humiliate those being freed while using videos filmed at the events for propaganda purposes.
“It has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for [Saturday] until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
