U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel on Thursday amid stalled negotiations aimed at reaching a deal between Tel Aviv and Hamas for a prisoner exchange and ceasefire.
اضافة اعلان
According to Israel’s Channel 12, “Witkoff’s visit comes at a critical time, as Israel must decide how to proceed with the war in Gaza,” which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
With U.S. backing, Israel is waging a campaign of genocide in Gaza, involving mass killings, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement—disregarding international pleas and rulings by the International Court of Justice ordering it to stop.
The war has left over 206,000 Palestinians dead or injured, most of them women and children, with over 9,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands displaced and a famine that has claimed many lives, including those of dozens of children.
Witkoff is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who is wanted by international justice—around 2:00 PM local time (11:00 GMT) at Netanyahu's office in West Jerusalem, according to the report.
Channel 12 added that Witkoff’s visit centers on two main issues: the continuation of fighting in Gaza and the humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave.
“The dilemma facing Israel’s political and security leadership is intensifying, especially with the disturbing images coming out of Gaza,” the report said, referring to the victims of Israel’s deliberate starvation policy.
The channel added: “A decision must be made—either to proceed with a deal for a ceasefire and release of hostages, or to escalate military operations toward occupying and annexing parts of Gaza.”
It further noted that the main reason for Witkoff’s visit is the alarming humanitarian images emerging from Gaza and the mounting international pressure on Israel to allow large-scale humanitarian aid into the Strip.
Witkoff is also expected to visit one of the aid distribution centers run by the U.S.-based “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” in Gaza, the outlet said.
The visit aims to provide firsthand insight into the dire humanitarian situation, especially the widespread hunger across many areas of the Gaza Strip.
