Скачать или смотреть Hostage families urge US envoy Witkoff to secure a Gaza deal as he arrives in Israel

(31 Jul 2025)
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4593943

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jerusalem - 31 July 2025
1. Various of hostages' mothers and supporters gathered outside the Israeli Prime Minister's office holding photos of hostages, yellow flags symbolizing the hostages and banners
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Yael Engel Lichi, relative of released hostage:
"Hostages who are still in Gaza feels, and I'm not trying to know what they feel. I just call the whole Israeli mothers to come stand with us every time they can. And I call President Trump and Witkoff and want to thank them for the deal they made and call them to come to Israel today and finish this nightmare we are going through. This nightmare of the families of the soldiers that are dead. Every day, I lost my brother in the army, I know how it feels and I don't want anyone else to feel the same."
3. Close of banner, reading (English) "End the war, seal the deal".
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dalia Cusnir, relative of two hostages:
"Mr. Witkoff, you're landing now in Israel. Make this visit history. Make Prime Minister Netanyahu, make Hamas, make all the countries involved to sign this deal that will bring this war to an end. We don't want to lose more life. We want to bring the hostages back, all of them, together."
5. Close of hostages photos and flags
6. Mid of man holding a photo of hostage

STORYLINE:
Israeli mothers and relatives of hostages held in Gaza urged U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday to use his visit to Israel to help secure a deal for their release.

The protesters gathered near Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem.

One of them, Dalia Cusnir, whose family includes two hostages, one still in captivity, called on Witkoff to “make history” by ensuring the release of all the hostages together.

"Make this visit history. Make Prime Minister Netanyahu, make Hamas, make all the countries involved to sign this deal that will bring this war to an end. We don't want to lose more life. We want to bring the hostages back, all of them, together," Cusnir told the crowd.

Witkoff, who has led the Trump administration’s efforts to wind down the nearly 22-month war and release hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 2023 attack that sparked the fighting, will arrive in Israel on Thursday for talks on the situation in Gaza.

Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people in their October attack and abducted 251 others.

They still hold 50 hostages, including around 20 believed to be alive. Most of the rest of the hostages were released in ceasefires or other deals.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Its count doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians. The ministry operates under the Hamas government.

The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.

Meanwhile, under heavy international pressure, Israel announced a series of measures over the weekend to facilitate the entry of more international aid to Gaza, but aid workers say much more is needed.

Israel denies there is any starvation in Gaza, rejecting accounts to the contrary from witnesses, U.N. agencies and aid groups, and says the focus on hunger undermines ceasefire efforts.

AP video by Moshe Edri


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