From the Liveblog of
Saturday, August 9, 2025
Palestinian-American mediator denies report that he’s at odds with Witkoff
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Palestinian-American political activist Bishara Bahbah, who served as a mediator in the since-collapsed talks between Israel and Hamas, vehemently denies a Channel 12 report claiming he is at odds with US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Bahbah had been used periodically to send messages between the US and Hamas and played a key role in the May release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander.
Without citing any sources, Channel 12 claimed that Bahbah believes Hamas was close to accepting a deal for a truce and partial release of hostages, and that the talks were abandoned too early by Israel and Washington.
The network also said that Bahbah was frustrated that Witkoff followed Israel’s lead in dismissing Hamas’s conditions for a deal and that the Palestinian-American activist will work on his own moving forward to try and secure a ceasefire.
In a Facebook post responding to the report, Bahbah called it “fake news.”
“For the record, I was never a member of the US negotiating team. I have played the role of a mediator whenever Steve Witkoff asked me to do so. I have tremendous respect for Mr. Witkoff. I believe that President Trump wants to end the tragedy in Gaza. I will always be ready to aid in any way I can, leading to the end of the war in Gaza. I have and will always be a loud voice advocating for the people of Gaza,” he said.
The Times of Israel Community.