U.S. Efforts to Secure the Release of Hostages in Gaza: Diplomatic Endeavors and Political Pressures

U.S. Efforts to Secure the Release of Hostages in Gaza: Diplomatic Endeavors and Political Pressures
December 9, 2024, 11:26 am

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Steve Wittekov, President-elect Donald Trump's envoy to the Middle East, announced on Monday in Abu Dhabi his hope for the release of hostages held in Gaza before Trump's anticipated inauguration on January 20. He expressed his wish for a ceasefire in Gaza to be achieved by that date.

U.S. efforts continue to secure an agreement that would halt the fighting in the Gaza Strip and lead to a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas. According to sources, Tel Aviv previously sought to make Elon Musk part of these efforts. A source close to Israeli President Isaac Herzog indicated that he contacted Musk to discuss ways to revive talks concerning the release of Israelis held in Gaza.

The source mentioned that Herzog made the call at the request of the families of the hostages, who hope that Musk, being a figure close to Trump, could pressure the relevant parties to secure this agreement, as reported by CNN.

In the context of this meeting, a source close to the families of the hostages revealed that the discussions between the Israeli president and some families of the captives addressed the need to pressure Trump, leading to Musk's name being mentioned as a potential link.

These developments follow Trump's warnings, in which he indicated last Monday that there would be "hell in the Middle East" if the hostages were not released before his inauguration. Earlier, Trump's Middle East advisor, Musaad Boulos, confirmed that the priority for the incoming U.S. administration would be the immediate release of the hostages without delay, emphasizing that this should be separate from issues regarding the future of Gaza.

On another front, the Qatari and Egyptian mediators have recently returned to work towards an agreement facilitating a prisoner exchange and a ceasefire in the region, as approximately 100 hostages have been held in Gaza since October 7 of last year, with estimates suggesting that fewer than 50 of them are still alive.

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