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Netanyahu Meets Trump Envoy Witkoff, Sends Team to Doha for Hostage Talks

Netanyahu met Monday with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Mike Huckabee to discuss ongoing hostage negotiations. The high-level meeting focused on the proposed plan for the release of hostages that Vitkoff presented prior to the recent escalation in fighting. Following the meeting, Netanyahu spoke directly with President Trump. The Prime Minister thanked him for his help in securing the release of IDF soldier Idan Alexander, who was recently freed by Hamas. Trump reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and expressed his desire to continue close cooperation with Netanyahu. During the diplomatic exchange, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel remains firm in its stance: negotiations will move forward, but only under active fire. As part of the next steps, Netanyahu has instructed that a negotiation team be dispatched to Doha on Tuesday to pursue the hostage release plan discussed with Vitkoff. The meeting and subsequent phone call signal a renewed U.S.-Israel effort to press forward with negotiations while maintaining military pressure on Hamas, as the Israeli government balances operational priorities with diplomatic progress.