WASHINGTON — Asked to provide an update on the ongoing ceasefire-hostage talks, US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff says, “We have an opportunity to finally get a peace deal.”
US President Donald Trump asked Witkoff to speak while taking questions from reporters with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before their dinner at the White House.
Trump had been asked whether a reported security incident that took place several hours earlier in northern Gaza — later revealed to be an incident in which five Israeli soldiers were killed and 14 were injured by a roadside bomb — would impact the hostage talks.
“I don’t think so,” Trump responds, insisting that both Israel and Hamas want a ceasefire before asking Witkoff to weigh in.
Commenting on the security incident, Witkoff calls it “terribly unfortunate” before insisting that there is still an opportunity for a hostage deal and expressing his hope that one will be reached “very quickly.”
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Tuesday, July 8, 2025
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