U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff spoke at Saturday night’s rally in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, the largest crowd reported there since it became the gathering place for relatives of Israelis taken hostage in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
Alongside Jared Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, Witkoff told the crowd President Trump would love to be there with them, as people chanted “thank you, Trump, thank you, Witkoff.”
The U.S. envoy acknowledged that many feared the remaining hostages would never come home, but said when “courage meets conviction, miracles can happen.”
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Speaking hours before the first hostages were due to be freed, Witkoff said that Mr. Trump “showed the world that strength and peace go hand in hand. They are not opposites — they are partners.” Mr. Trump, he said, was a humanitarian “through and through.”
Speaking after Witkoff, Kushner told the crowd — “I agree with you — thank you, Witkoff.” Kushner said he applauded the people of Israel and said, “I couldn’t be prouder to be a friend of Israel, somebody who supports Israel and somebody who fights very strongly to see Israel survive, succeed and to achieve its fullest potential.”
The crowd booed when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was mentioned, CBS News’ team in Israel reported.
Mr. Trump is expected to travel to Israel on Monday to mark the ceasefire deal and the return of the hostages.