Israel Ignores US and Hamas

The Israeli military received Alexander from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which facilitated his transfer from a location in Gaza. Using a military helicopter, Alexander was flown to a hospital in Tel Aviv for a health assessment. Although he appeared pale, from several widely circulated video recordings, Alexander seemed enthusiastic and smiled frequently.

Alexander's grandmother, Varda Ben Baruch, was beaming. She stated that her grandson looked well in the first photo after nearly 600 days of captivity.

"He looks like an adult man. He is truly mature," he said. The report that Alexander made a joke on the phone while speaking with his mother for the first time did not surprise him. "He has a sense of humor," he said.

The release of Alexander has reduced the number of hostages still held by Hamas to 58 individuals. Of these, 20 are still alive. Among the hostages, there are four American citizens who have died, including the couple Gadi Haggai and Judi Weinstein Haggai, as well as two soldiers, Itay Chen and Omer Neutra.

The release of Alexander is hoped to pave the way for the release of other hostages and also for the cessation of war. The two mediating countries, Qatar and Egypt, which are collaborating with the United States in Alexander's release, hope that this step will open the door for ceasefire negotiations. Previously, Israel had thwarted efforts to discuss a ceasefire.

The Office of the Prime Minister of Israel stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met with U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, to discuss the release of remaining hostages. Netanyahu is reported to have directed that a negotiating team fly to Doha, Qatar, to speak with representatives of Hamas.

Nevertheless, at the same time, Netanyahu's office stated that negotiations would continue under pressure. Netanyahu claimed that Alexander's release was achieved thanks to the military pressure from Israel and diplomatic pressure from Trump. "This is a very good combination," he said.

Israeli military attacks were reported to have temporarily halted during the day while the process of releasing Alexander was underway, particularly to establish a safe corridor for the return of hostages. After that, airstrikes resumed at several locations, including refugee camps.

Palestinian health officials stated that three people were killed after an Israeli airstrike hit a refugee camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Attacks also occurred in Tuffah, northern Gaza. One woman was killed and others were injured after an Israeli tank directed its fire at a school that had been converted into a shelter for Palestinian residents.

While meeting with injured former Israeli soldiers on Monday (12/5/2025), Netanyahu again expressed his intention to burn Gaza to the ground.

"What will exist is the desire of the Gazans to migrate out (of the Gaza Strip)," Netanyahu said.

Several media reports said Alexander's release without Israel's involvement was believed to be one of the signs of the rift between Trump and Netanyahu. Israeli media, Channel 13, reported by the Times of Israel said several officials in Netanyahu's inner circle have strongly criticized the steps taken by the Trump administration in recent weeks.

"There is chaos in the Trump administration — the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing," said a senior figure close to the prime minister. The prime minister's office also expressed its disappointment towards the White House. This disappointment was conveyed during a meeting between Netanyahu's senior advisors and Trump last Thursday.

Other Israeli media, Channel 12, reported on Sunday (11/5/2025) that in his discussions with several hostage families, Witkoff expressed his disagreement with Israel's approach that continues to push for war in Gaza. Witkoff believes that prolonging the war is not appropriate. He emphasized that achieving a ceasefire and an agreement for the release of hostages is the right step.

The US media outlet Fox News also reported on the rift, citing analysts who stated that Netanyahu stands as a "roadblock" to Trump's diplomatic initiatives in the Middle East.

Channel 12 reported on Sunday that Witkoff recently informed the hostages' families that he disagrees with Israel's approach to the war in the Gaza Strip. He believes that Israel is prolonging the war without purpose.

Netanyahu, quoted by TOI, rejected the view and said his relationship with Trump was very good. "What can I say. It's not Trump who said it and it's not me who said it," he said.

"I speak with him from time to time. I wouldn't say every few days, but every two or three weeks, I talk to him. My people are at the White House. Right now we are blessed with a very, very friendly president and administration. And we are trying to coordinate both big and small things," said Netanyahu. (AP/Reuters)