U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met families of Israeli hostages in Tel Aviv on 2 August, telling them he is drafting a plan to end the 22-month Gaza war and secure the captives’ release, according to people present at the meeting. The visit marked Washington’s most overt engagement with the families since the collapse of Qatar-mediated cease-fire talks in July. The talks were convened after Hamas released two videos showing 27-year-old hostage Evyatar David severely emaciated and, in one clip, digging what he said was his own grave. The footage prompted condemnation from the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, and added to domestic pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal. Netanyahu, who met the families separately, said he was “deeply shocked” by the images. Israel has asked the UN Security Council to hold an emergency session on 5 August devoted to the hostage crisis. Israeli officials say 251 people were abducted in the 7 October 2023 attack; roughly 50 remain in Gaza and only about 20 are believed alive. The Israeli military’s chief of staff has warned the conflict will continue “without respite” until all are freed, even as local media report he may quit if the cabinet orders a full-scale occupation of Gaza. The protracted war is exacting a widening human toll. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority says 16 soldiers have taken their own lives so far this year, most after extended deployments in combat zones. In Gaza, the enclave’s health ministry reports at least 175 deaths from starvation and malnutrition, and UN agencies warn that a generalized famine is imminent despite recent, limited deliveries of fuel and food.