Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Saturday evening following the conclusion of Shabbat with the incoming President Donald Trump’s new Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
The discussion, which focused on the current status of the hostages still being held in Gaza by Hamas, included Defense Minister Israel Katz, all heads of the Israeli security establishment, and American negotiators of both the incoming and outgoing administrations.
Following the talks, Netanyahu directed Mossad Director David Barnea, Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, Maj.-Gen. (Res) Nitzan Alon, and Foreign Policy Adviser Dr. Ophir Falk, to depart for Doha to continue advancing a deal to release the captives.
The incoming president, who will take office on January 20, has repeatedly warned that if the hostages are not freed by the time he enters the White House, “all hell will break loose” in the region.
