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U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he is encouraging Hamas to get much more sensible than they have been. Witkoff spoke to CNN and said that his proposal for a bridging agreement that would see the immediate release of five live hostages, including American Israeli citizen Edan Alexander, and extending the first phase of the ceasefire, is compelling. The Hamas response, he said, is unacceptable.
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"I believe they have an opportunity, but it is slipping away quickly. What happened with the Houthis yesterday, what happened with our strike, ought to inform as to where we stand with the regard to terrorism and our tolerance level for terrorist actions - and I would encourage Hamas to get much more sensible," Witkoff said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting Saturday night to address the stalled negotiations. During the session, he received a briefing from the negotiation team that had returned from Doha. The possibility of resuming military operations was also discussed, including not only a broad offensive that Hamas "does not recognize," as previously threatened, but also the option of “targeted operations.”
Following the meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office described the discussion on the hostages as “thorough.” Netanyahu instructed the negotiation team to “prepare to continue the ceasefire talks based on the mediators’ response to the Witkoff proposal for the immediate release of 11 living hostages and half of the bodies.”
Last week, Hamas announced it was prepared to release only one live hostage — Alexander — along with the bodies of four other hostages who reportedly hold dual citizenship, presumably American. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff quickly dismissed the offer as impractical, saying that while Hamas publicly presents itself as “flexible,” behind the scenes it is making demands that are impossible to meet without a permanent ceasefire.
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During talks last week in Qatar, Witkoff presented Hamas with a “bridging proposal” to extend the current ceasefire through Ramadan and Passover, providing additional time to negotiate a permanent truce. “Under the proposal, Hamas would release living hostages in exchange for prisoners according to previously agreed formulas. The first phase of the ceasefire would be extended to allow for the resumption of substantial humanitarian aid, and the United States would work toward a stable resolution to the ongoing conflict during this extended pause,” read a statement on the proposal.
Witkoff warned Hamas that a deadline was in place, though he did not specify the timeframe. “Hamas is making a very poor bet if it believes time is on its side. It’s not,” he said. “Hamas is well aware of the deadline, and it should know we will respond accordingly if it passes.” His warning comes as President Donald Trump continues to threaten to give Israel the green light to resume fighting. Witkoff emphasized, however, that as long as talks are ongoing, he has asked Israel not to return to combat. The window for negotiations is expected to be a matter of days, not weeks.