Members of the crowd booed when Witkoff mentioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the American envoy insisted that the prime minister was instrumental in bringing the deal to fruition. Witkoff also thanked the other regional nations that helped make the deal possible.
US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, addressed Israelis, who gathered at Tel Aviv's Hostages' Square on Saturday evening ahead of the scheduled release of hostages by Hamas, and said miracles can happen when courage meets conviction. He was joined by Ivanka Trump, the US president's daughter, and her husband, Jared Kushner. "When courage meets conviction, miracles can happen," Witkoff told the audience. "You have carried the weight of hope on your shoulders for the entire world. You've prayed, you've persevered. And you've shown the world that peace is not weakness. It is the highest form of strength. Through heartbreak and fear, you have never let go of the faith."