Praise for Trump and hope for reconciliation at huge rally in Israel ahead of hostage release
US envoy Steve Witkoff was met with a mixture of cheers and boos as he addressed crowds gathered in Hostages Square
US envoy Steve Witkoff was met with a mixture of cheers and boos as he addressed crowds gathered in Hostages Square, invoking both Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump during a highly charged speech.
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Mr Witkoff, joined by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, faced audible jeers when he praised the Israeli prime minister in front of a 400,000-strong crowd in Tel Aviv on Saturday the day after the Gaza ceasefire was enacted.
“Okay, let me. Let me just finish my thought,” Mr Witkoff told the crowd as interruptions grew louder. “I was in the trenches, guys. Let me just finish my thought. I was in the trenches with the prime minister. Believe me, he was a very important part here.”
While his mention of the Israeli prime minister drew boos, the mood shifted dramatically when Mr Witkoff turned to the US president, prompting loud cheers from parts of the audience.
“We all owe a debt of deep gratitude to President Trump,” he said. “In the worst of times, he refused to accept the idea that peace in the Middle East was out of reach. He brought together nations once divided by generations of conflict and showed us that shared peace is stronger than shared pain.”
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The gathering, held against the backdrop of continuing negotiations to secure the release of hostages, was deeply emotional for many in attendance.
Mr Witkoff, his voice at times wavering, reflected on the moment’s significance. “I dreamed of this night. It’s been a long journey. This is the most powerful sight,” he said.
The event came as Washington unveiled a new framework aimed at stabilising the region and paving a path toward a long-term ceasefire.
Mr Trump’s 20-point plan calls for Israel to maintain an open-ended military presence inside Gaza, along its border with Israel.
An international force, comprised largely of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would be responsible for security inside the enclave.
The Israeli military has said it will continue to operate defensively from the roughly 50% of Gaza it still controls after pulling back to agreed-upon lines.
The first phase of the plan is expected to see remaining hostages returned to their families and Palestinian prisoners released by Monday morning.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer will fly to an international peace summit in Egypt as part of efforts to secure the fragile ceasefire agreed in Gaza.
Reports also suggest Mr Trump will be present at the summit in Sharm El Sheikh on Monday.
The prime minister will thank Egypt, Qatar and Turkey for “bringing us to this point” as well as Mr Trump, before calling for continued coordination to secure “swift progress towards phase two” of the truce.
The Gaza war was triggered when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.
In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children.
The United Nations and many independent experts consider the ministry’s figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.