PM says he spoke to Witkoff today, credits release of hostages to ‘heroic’ IDF

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a video statement that he spoke again today with US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who is currently in Doha for negotiations to secure a hostage release and ceasefire deal before the IDF advances its expanded Gaza operation.

לא נישבר, אנחנו נילחם >> pic.twitter.com/FOSRRbpT6D

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 15, 2025

“I spoke with Witkoff again. Last night at 12 a.m. [we spoke], and today in the afternoon,” says Netanyahu, before also addressing his phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio today.

He does not describe the content of either discussion.

Netanyahu adds that returning hostages from Gaza owe their gratitude not to him, but to the Israeli military, whose pressure on Hamas made their release possible.

He says as much in response to a question from his media advisor, Topaz Luk, who asks what the premier thinks about claims in the media that “every hostage needs to thank him.”

“Well, that’s simply absurd fake news — and vile, too,” Netanyahu says. “No one needs to thank me. They need to do only one thing: to recover, and return to as normal a life as possible.”

“But if there’s anyone who deserves thanks, it’s our heroic soldiers. Without their sacrifice, and without the pressure we exert through them, we wouldn’t have managed to free 148 hostages alive — and we also brought back the bodies of fallen [hostages],” the premier continues.

“There are at least 20 more hostages who are definitely alive — we are working to bring them all home — and also to return the other fallen,” he concludes.