U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met relatives of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip in Tel Aviv on Saturday, as hundreds rallied to demand a cease-fire that would secure their release, Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported.
Witkoff's visit, his third to Hostage Square since the war began, came shortly after Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad released footage showing two emaciated Israeli captives, Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, prompting renewed outrage.
Witkoff told the protesters that "most Israelis want the hostages home" and "most Gazans want the hostages home too, they want Gaza rebuilt," adding that efforts to secure a deal for the release of the remaining 50 hostages and to resolve the war were "ongoing."
Following the meeting, many of the family members expressed discouragement after the discussion, saying they were left with more questions than answers, according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
On Friday, Witkoff visited an aid center in southern Gaza operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
