Israel is preparing today (Monday) for the release of kidnapped soldier Edan Alexander, who is due to arrive at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv after his release.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lawyer, Amit Hadad, requested that the day of testimony at the opening of the hearing in the Tel Aviv District Court be shortened, and end at 11:30. Hadad said that Netanyahu slept for an hour and a half during the night.
Israel will stop its flights over Gaza for intelligence gathering or any other operational needs and will allow a “safe passage.” A Hamas source told the Saudi channel Asharq Al-Awsat that Alexander will be released today or tomorrow, and that his handover will take place “without public or military ceremonies.” He said that “Hamas needs a few hours to get organized and get Edan out of the tunnels.” The source added that since the morning hours, there has been relative calm in the Gaza Strip, and noted that “there are no patrol drones in the sky.”
Senior Hamas official abroad, Mahmoud Mardawi, said in an interview with the Qatari Al-Arabi channel tonight: “The negotiations with the US were direct, and this is not the first in recent times. There were several rounds of negotiations with US officials. Later, the Netanyahu government revealed the existence of this channel, which caused a short delay, but then the negotiations resumed.”
Tonight, US President Donald Trump announced the planned release of kidnapped soldier Edan Alexander. “Edan is returning home to his family,” he wrote. “Hopefully this is the first of the final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict.”
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that the US informed Israel of Hamas’s intention to release Alexander “without compensation and without conditions,” and expressed hope that the move would pave the way for the renewal of ceasefire talks.
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