ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated:

US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff conveyed a set of principles to Hamas for ending the war in Gaza through Israeli activist Gershon Baskin, KAN News reported Sunday morning.

Witkoff's proposal included several other principles in addition to the release of all 48 hostages in exchange for ending the war.

Baskin maintains contact with senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad, with whom he negotiated when he aided negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit in 2011.  

A Hamas delegation concluded a visit to Egypt on Saturday evening, the terrorist organization said in a Sunday statement.

The purpose of the visit was to build a roadmap for a ceasefire agreement and the post-war period. The delegation was headed by Zaher Jabarin and included Husam Badran, Kamal Abu Aoun, Ghazi Hamad, and Mahmoud Mardawi.

Members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas and mourners attend the funeral of Al-Qassam fighters who were killed during the war between Israel and Hamas in the Al-Shati camp, in Gaza City, February 28, 2025.
Members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas and mourners attend the funeral of Al-Qassam fighters who were killed during the war between Israel and Hamas in the Al-Shati camp, in Gaza City, February 28, 2025. (credit: Khalil Kahlout/Flash90)

The Jerusalem Post previously reported that Witkoff was working behind the scenes to renew negotiations for a hostage deal. 

The efforts have been focused on finding an efficient mechanism for talks and solutions to bridge the gaps between the sides. Some sources believe that if negotiations for a full deal begin, the mediators will try to ensure the talks proceed at a faster pace than before.

As part of the talks, Witkoff met with Qatari officials in Paris.

“After Hamas’s statement outlining its demands for a comprehensive deal, we’ve reached a point where both Israel’s and Hamas’s demands regarding a deal for the release of all hostages are clear,” one of the sources said.

Washington in 'very deep' negotiations with Hamas, Trump says

President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington was in "very deep" negotiations with Hamas and urged them to release all hostages held in Gaza.

"We said let them all out, right now let them all out. And much better things will happen for them, but if you don't let them all out, it's going to be a tough situation, it's going to be nasty," Trump said, adding that Hamas was "asking for some things that are fine."

This is a developing story.

Reuters and Amichai Stein contributed to this report.