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Rabat – Israel says it has not agreed to any ceasefire with Hamas ahead of the expected release of US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander.
Hamas announced that the release would take place today as a goodwill gesture to the United States. The move comes after talks with American officials, and as US President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. Notably, he does not have plans to visit Israel.
In a statement on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that negotiations for a ceasefire would continue even while fighting goes on. He added that, allegedly, pressure from the Israeli Occupation Forces’ constant attacks is the reason Hamas agreed to release Alexander.
Israel has not committed to a ceasefire “in any way,” the statement said, adding that there would be no release of Palestinian prisoners as part of this move.
Hamas told the AFP news agency that mediators had said Israel would pause attacks briefly to allow the transfer of Alexander through a “safe corridor.”
Qatar and Egypt, two countries involved in mediation, called the move a positive step toward restarting ceasefire talks.
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayyah said the group is ready to begin serious negotiations for a long-term truce. This would include ending the war, exchanging captives, and handing over control of Gaza to an independent government of technocrats.
Edan Alexander’s family said they are hopeful his release will lead to the return of other captives. Families of those still held in Gaza have been pushing the Israeli government to reach a deal. But. Netanyahu faces strong pressure from hardliners in his cabinet who oppose any end to the war.
Are Trump and Netanyahu at odds?
The fact that Trump is bypassing Israel has raised concerns about a growing rift between the US president and the Israeli prime minister.
Trump’s talks with Saudi Arabia will reportedly focus on increasing access to civil nuclear technology, but without plans to push the Gulf country to normalize relations with Israel. This marks a major shift from Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, who consistently elevated this as a precondition on the negotiation table.
This, along with other recent diplomatic changes in the Trump administration’s communication with Netanyahu has caused a frenzy both in Israeli circles and in US media who paint the narrative that the US president and Netanyahu are “not getting along.”
However, in a Thursday interview, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee denounced these reports as “reckless and irresponsible.” In regards to Trump bypassing Israel for his Middle East visit, Trump administration voices assert that the president is simply prioritizing US interests first, which is in line with his entire campaign message.
“What you’re seeing is that President Trump has an idea of what is in our interest, and that comes first,” says former State Department official Dennis Ross, adding that the administration likely views the fact that they have given over $4 billion to Israel as proof enough that they have supported their longtime Middle East ally.
Analysts argue that it is therefore unlikely that Trump’s perceived change in tone has anything to do with a geopolitical shift towards supporting Gaza, and more so business motivated.
Gaza onslaught continues
Meanwhile, the genocide in Gaza has reached an all-time crisis point.
Last week, Netanyahu said Israel is preparing for a complete military takeover of Gaza. Officials have said this major move will not begin until after Trump’s visit with Gulf allies is over.
Meanwhile, Israel’s brutal airstrikes on Gaza have relentlessly continued. IOF killed at least 17 people today in an attack on a school that had been turned into a shelter. The total blockade of Gaza has now lasted 71 days, and the humanitarian situation continues to worsen.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 52,862 Palestinians have been killed and 119,648 injured since the war began. The Government Media Office says the real death toll is likely much higher, more than 61,700, because many people remain buried under the rubble or are unaccounted for.
