Washington’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has reportedly expressed rare public criticism of Israel’s military strategy in Gaza, urging a shift toward securing a new ceasefire and hostage release deal, Channel 12 reports.

In a meeting with families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, Witkoff reportedly said, “The U.S. wants to return the hostages, but Israel is not ready to end the war.” According to attendees, he added that Washington no longer sees a clear path to further military gains and believes a diplomatic agreement is now the most viable path forward.

“Israel is prolonging the war, even though we do not see where further progress can be made,” Witkoff said, according to Channel 12 sources. He also insisted that there is what he called a “window of opportunity” for a potential deal and noted that the U.S. is “putting pressure on all the mediators and doing everything to return the hostages.”

The envoy’s comments mark a notable departure from his prior tone, with some families saying this is the first time they have heard such direct criticism of Israeli policy from Witkoff.

Israeli officials, meanwhile, pushed back on the idea of a quick resolution. According to Channel 12, senior officials warned that if no deal is reached by the end of President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to the region, Israel will initiate a ground operation that could last several weeks. “We won’t agree to quickly halt, once we have begun the intensified operation,” the officials said. “Hamas will not determine the timeline.”

Still, these same officials acknowledged the fragile diplomatic moment, echoing Witkoff’s remarks that a narrow “window of opportunity” exists. Mediators, they say, must clearly communicate this urgency to Hamas.

Israel is reportedly open to a number of proposals — including a version of a framework being referred to as the “Witkoff proposal-minus.” That deal would see the release of approximately half of the remaining living hostages in exchange for an extended truce.

Witkoff is currently engaged in active negotiations with Qatar, Egypt, Israel, and even Hamas, Walla News reports, in an effort to finalize an agreement that could both bring hostages home and deescalate the conflict.

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