Families and Supporters Rally at Tel Aviv as Envoys Head to Egypt for Hostage Release Negotiations

An estimated 20,000 demonstrators turned out for a Saturday evening rally at Tel Aviv demanding the release the hostages in Gaza amid reports that top American and Israeli negotiators are on their way to Egypt for talks that could deliver a deal within days.President Trump’s Middle East special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to represent Mr. Trump in the indirect negotiations with Hamas, according to American and Israeli news reports.Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is said to be representing Israel in the talks, expected to begin on Monday, most likely at the Red Sea resort of Sharm-al-Sheikh, the Times of Israel reported.In a brief statement late Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed he has sent a delegation to Egypt “to finalize technical details” of a hostage release, adding that “our goal is to contain these negotiations to a time frame of a few days.”Mr. Netanyahu added that doubters “told me it’s too good to be true. It’s true. And with God’s help, it will happen very soon.”At Tel Aviv, families of the hostages and their supporters marched under a huge banner reading “It’s Now or Never” amid fears that far-right ministers in the Netanyahu government could sabotage any deal, Haaretz reported.“Netanyahu, the people of Israel want this deal,” said the mother of one of the hostages, Einav Zangauker. “Do not take away our breath. Do not shatter our hope to bring the hostages home. For you, they may just be hostages – but for me, he is my child, my life.”In a Truth Social post Saturday, Mr. Trump warned that Hamas must “move quickly, or else all bets will be off.”“I will not tolerate delay, which many think will happen, or any outcome where Gaza poses a threat again,” he wrote. “Let’s get this done, FAST. Everyone will be treated fairly!”The planned negotiations came together quickly after Hamas announced late Friday its partial agreement to the Middle East peace plan made public this week by Mr. Trump.In its statement, Hamas agreed to the release of all the hostages, living and dead, “provided that appropriate field conditions are secured for the implementation of the exchange process.” There are believed to be 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, of whom 20 are thought to still be alive.The terror group also agreed to the formation of a technocratic Palestinian body to rule Gaza “based on Palestinian national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic backing.” But it demanded further negotiations on other elements of the 20-point plan, including requirements that it disarm and play no role in the future governance of the territory.Nevertheless, the statement was welcomed by world leaders from Paris to Riyadh and by President Trump himself, who described it in a Friday night social media post as a “positive step.” He declared on Truth Social that Israel “must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly!”Within hours, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the military was “preparing for the immediate implementation of the first stage of the Trump plan for the release of all the hostages,” according to the Times of Israel.An Israeli official told the Associated Press that Israel had moved to a defensive-only position in Gaza and woud not actively strike. The official, who was not authorized to speak to the media on the record, said no forces had been removed from the strip.ABC News quoted two unnamed Israeli sources saying Mr. Netanyahu scheduled a security cabinet meeting on Saturday night to discuss – among other things – a list of Palestinian prisoners to be released in a swap for the hostges and options for Israel Defense Forces Gaza withdrawal maps.The Wall Street Journal said Saturday it had confirmed with American and Arab officials that both Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner were headed for Egypt to participate in the indirect hostage talks.And the Times of Israel, quoting Israel’s Channel 12 news, cited a senior Israeli official saying that if those talks proceed smoothly, the hostages could be released “within a few days.”Even before Hamas’ Friday announcement, hopes were rising among the families of the hostages in response to Mr. Trump’s peace plan, which was made public on Tuesday.“Finally, we have a framework that includes the release of all the hostages and an end to the war,” Ilan Dalal, father of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal, told the Jerusalem Post. He said the plan “gives us tremendous hope for the return of our loved ones.”Bring Them Home Now, an umbrella group representing the families of the hostages, organized the rally at Tel Aviv with a post on X Saturday urging “the people of Israel to stand with us this evening at Hostages Square to mark two years since October 7.”“We are in decisive days for a deal – days that will determine when the living hostages return for rehabilitiation and the deceased return for a proper burial,” the post said.An obstacle to previous hostage release plans has been the understanding that some of them are in the hands of Islamic Jihad, a separate Iran-backed terrorist group not fully under Hamas’ control.However a statement from that group reported by Reuters said Hamas’ Friday statement “represents the position of the Palestinian resistance factions, and the Islamic Jihad participated responsibly in the consultations that led to this decision.”The week’s developments also brought a sense of relief to the residents of the territory.“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive, it saves the people, and thank God that they [Hamas] agreed. This is enough, good people. We are tired, I swear to God, we are tired, tired,” a 32-year-old Palestinian, Saoud Qarneyta, told Reuters.Despite the prospects for a hostage release, many in Israel remained skeptical that a complete end to the war – which reaches its two-year mark on Tuesday – is at hand.Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli general and chairman of Israel’s Defense and Security Forum, told the Associated Press that Israel can afford to stop firing for a few days in Gaza so the hostages can be released but it will resume its offensive if Hamas doesn’t lay down its arms.Others said that while Hamas suggests a willingness to negotiate, its position fundamentally remains unchanged.This “yes, but” rhetoric “simply repackages old demands in softer language,” said Oded Ailam, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.The gap between appearance and action is as wide as ever and the rhetorical shift serves more as a smokescreen than a signal of true movement toward resolution, he said.

Families and Supporters Rally at Tel Aviv as Envoys Head to Egypt for Hostage Release Negotiations

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