U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Qatari prime minister in Spain over Gaza

The American special envoy Steve Witkoff meets the Qatari Prime Minister in Spain on Saturday to discuss a new proposal to end the War in Gaza And the entry of aid in the territory, a head of Qatari and a familiar source told CBS News.

According to sources, the main objective is a discussion on the creation of “viable work” a new Egyptian-Qatari joint proposal on the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

Two Arab officials told the Associated Press that the new cease -fire frame would include the release of all hostages – Dead and Live – suddenly in return from the end of the war and the withdrawal of the Israeli Gaza forces.

Of the 251 hostages that were removed by terrorists led by Hamas on October 7, 2023, 50 remain, 20 of which are considered alive in Gaza. The others were released or returned during the previous temporary ceasefire agreements.

Witkoff a week ago Visited a help distribution site In the south of Gaza which is led by the United States and the Gaza humanitarian foundation supported by the United States and Israeli. He also met the Israeli hostage families in Tel Aviv.

During this meeting, Witkoff offered other ways to release the hostages and secure Gaza, said hostages of the missing families.

“We will bring your children home and keep Hamas responsible for all the bad acts on their part. We will do what is good for the Gazan people,” Witkoff said at the meeting, according to the forum.

The meeting in Spain comes when there is an increasing international conviction of Israel’s decision for a Gaza City military takeoverWhile little seems to have changed immediately on the ground.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday announced that the Israeli security firm had approved a plan for the Israeli army to take over the city of Gaza.

In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli defense forces would prepare to take over the city of Gaza while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside of combat areas.

The military chief of staff of Israel, the lieutenant-general Eyal Zamir, would have warned that the expansion of operations would endanger the living hostages remaining held by Hamas and would submit the army of Israel more after almost two years of regional wars.

On Saturday, a joint declaration of nine countries, including Germany, Great Britain, France and Canada, said that they “strongly rejected” Israel’s decision for the large-scale military operation, claiming that it would aggravate the “catastrophic humanitarian situation”, endangering hostages and risks more mass trips. They said that any attempted annexation or regulation in Gaza violated international law.

A separate declaration of more than 20 countries, notably mediators of ceasefire, Egypt and Qatar, as well as Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, described the decision of Israel a “dangerous and unacceptable escalation”. Meanwhile, Russia said that Israel’s plan would aggravate the “already extremely dramatic situation” in Gaza.

The United Nations Security Council planned an emergency meeting on Sunday. And Germany said that it will not allow any export of military equipment to Israel which could be used in Gaza until further notice.

Meanwhile, some hostage families gathered to put pressure on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the midst of new fears about hostages.

“The living will be murdered and the dead will be lost forever” if the offensive goes ahead, said Einav Zangauker, whose Matan son is held in Gaza.

She called Israeli, including the powerful Histadrut Labor Union, to “help us save the hostages, soldiers and the state of Israel” and seemed to ask for a general strike: “Close the country”.

Nasser and AWDA hospitals said the Israeli forces had killed at least 11 people looking for southern and center of Gaza. Some were waiting for aid trucks, while others approached aid distribution points.

The Israeli army denied having opened fire and said it was not aware of incidents. The army provides routes leading to distribution sites managed by the Gaza humanitarian foundation supported by the United States and supported by the United States, which has not immediately responded to a request for comments.

Two witnesses declared to the AP that the Israeli troops pulled towards crowds approaching a GHF distribution site on foot in the corridor of Netzarim, a military zone which bisette Gaza. A witness, Ramadan Gaber, said that elite shooters and tanks drawn from help seekers, forcing them to withdraw.

The Israeli army said that at least 106 aid packages were broadcast on Saturday while Italy and Greece joined the MultiCountry effort for the first time. Images of the Italian Ministry of Defense have shown not only packages parachuted on Gaza, but the dry and devastated landscape below.

Israel alleges, without testifying, that Hamas systematically diverts the help of the existing unison system, which denies it. This system called for more trucks pending outside Gaza to be authorized not only in the territory, but in complete safety with the interior destinations for distribution.

More than 61,300 Palestinians died during the war, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health managed by Hamas, which does not distinguish between combatants or civilians. The UN and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on the victims of the war.

Margaret Brennan contributed to this report.