Back with his family: 🙂
The TOI suggested a rift between the Trump and Netanyahu administrations on war plans & priorities. All then denied.
See article below. Hamas saw an opportunity to place a wedge between the US and Israel with the Trump Administration and grabbed it. Alexander was released to pressure the cracks between the two administrations. I don’t think it will work.
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Nava Freiberg and Jacob Magid writing in “Witkoff said to tell hostage families Israel pointlessly extending war, US urging deal” (TOI):
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff recently told families of hostages held in Gaza that he disagrees with Israel’s approach to the war in the Strip, and believes reaching a new ceasefire and hostage release deal is the correct next step to take, a report said Sunday, as reports of the growing rift between the US and Israeli leaders mount.
According to Channel 12, Witkoff told the families that the US “wants to return the hostages, but Israel is not ready to end the war.”
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What Israel has referred to as the “Witkoff proposal” — which sources told The Times of Israel at the time is in fact more of an Israeli offer — provides for the release of around half of the living hostages in return for an extended truce, followed by the release of the rest of the hostages alongside an end to the war.
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The Hamas statement, issued ahead of Trump’s trip to the region this week, was meant as a goodwill gesture in the hope that Washington will coax Israel to end the war in Gaza, a source involved in the mediation effort told The Times of Israel.
The source said Hamas has received assurances from the US through mediators that Alexander’s release “would go a long way” with Trump, who wants to see the remaining hostages released and for the war in Gaza to end.
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According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the US did not brief Israel on the effort to release Alexander until after the deal with Hamas was reached, saying Israel had generally been aware that efforts were ongoing, but only knew about them from its own intelligence operations.
I'm happy for Edan Alexander and his family. I hope he can recover from his nightmarish experience.
ReplyDeleteThis is great news.
ReplyDeleteIsrael's commitment to securing the safety of its citizens and ensuring the integrity of its defense strategies is crucial, and while diplomatic negotiations are important, any efforts to end the war must prioritise the long-term security and stability of the region, especially in the face of a persistent threat like Hamas.
ReplyDelete