US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff told hostage families after the release of Edan Alexander that Hamas was afraid of Trump, and they have good reason to be.

He also mentioned that Alexander told him his captors treated him better when they heard that Trump was elected president.

“Edan [Alexander] told me that when President Trump was elected, they started treating him better,” Witkoff added, adding that other freed hostages gave similar accounts.

Regarding Hamas, Witkoff said, “They’re afraid of him – and the truth is they should be.”

The envoy also said that freeing hostages through diplomacy had a higher success rate than military rescues.

Statistically, far more hostages have been freed through diplomatic negotiations. That’s what worked,” he said.

Witkoff expressed concern about 58 hostages remaining in Gaza and mentioned Matan Zangauker, who suffers serious health problems and was held with Alexander until his release.

“Edan’s release might hint at what could happen for everyone sitting in this room,” Witkoff told families of hostages.

The envoy expressed optimism that the remaining hostages could be freed through multinational diplomatic efforts, similar to the process that secured Alexander’s release.

“We needed cooperation from the Egyptians, the Qataris, and, of course, from Hamas. We also needed strong backing from the president,” Witkoff said.

Witkoff, who had intended to fly to Saudi Arabia with Trump, instead went to Israel to represent the Trump administration and oversee Alexander’s release.

Witkoff gave Edan Alexander a Star of David necklace that belonged to his late son.

Also on Wednesday, Witkoff and members of the negotiating team met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

The discussions coincided with Trump’s arrival in Doha, Qatar, where indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas were expected to resume on Wednesday.

Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have played significant roles in efforts to reach a deal for the release of the remaining 58 hostages held by Hamas since the invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023.

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