U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said Wednesday evening that a new draft proposal for a hostage deal would soon be issued to Israel. Speaking alongside Trump in a surprise statement, Witkoff said, “We are on the verge of sending a new terms document and I have a very good feeling about reaching a long-term solution.”
He added that the draft would be delivered to Trump by the end of the day for review and said he expects a "temporary ceasefire, followed by a long-term solution—peace to this war." Witkoff is expected to transmit the proposal to Israel overnight. According to sources in Jerusalem, the draft includes the release of 10 living hostages and the return of the remains of half the deceased.
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Steve Witkoff, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Donald Trump
(Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein, Yariv Katz, Paulina Fatimer AP Photo/Alex Brandon, )
While most components of the deal are reportedly agreed upon, the major point of contention remains Hamas’s long-standing demand for guarantees to end the war—something Israel has consistently rejected.
Witkoff is believed to be pressuring Israel to show more flexibility on that issue. Israeli officials fear he may offer Hamas a vague formula that would effectively grant it the assurances it seeks, without explicitly committing Israel to end the war. Behind-the-scenes negotiations and draft exchanges are reportedly ongoing between the U.S. and Qatar—without Israel’s involvement.
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“Trump appears fed up with how Israel is handling the war in Gaza. He wants this over,” A source familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a vocal opponent of any deal that includes a ceasefire or releases hostages in exchange for prisoners, responded forcefully: “Hamas is under immense pressure due to the overhaul of aid distribution and its loss of control over the population, combined with ongoing military pressure.
“We must keep tightening the rope and force Hamas into a full surrender that includes all the hostages at once. Releasing that pressure now for a partial deal would be sheer madness—it would give Hamas oxygen and a lifeline to recover. I won’t allow that to happen.”
Witkoff’s statement echoed elements of his original proposal, which Israel continues to insist is the only plan on the table. However, with Hamas refusing to accept it and negotiations stuck, it appears the U.S. envoy sees a need to revise the offer.
Earlier, Hamas claimed to have reached a “preliminary agreement” with Witkoff on a full ceasefire and the release of 10 hostages. An Israeli official dismissed the claim, calling it part of Hamas’s “ongoing propaganda and psychological warfare.”
“Witkoff himself said two days ago that while Israel agreed to his plan, Hamas continues to reject it,” the official said. “Hamas’s offer is unacceptable—to both Israel and the U.S. administration.”