Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told reporters on Monday, ahead of the expected release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, that sustained military pressure had been crucial.
Mencer added that while Hamas had offered the release as a gesture of “goodwill,” Hamas continued to reject the framework suggested by U.S. Special Envoy Steven Witkoff, a “serious, credible proposal … that would bring all of our hostages home.”
Mencer echoed remarks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Sunday evening credited the military pressure that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had continued to apply in Gaza, as well as the diplomatic efforts of the Trump administration.
In a statement (provided and translated by the Government Press Office), Netanyahu said: “The expected release of IDF soldier Edan Alexander without anything in return will be possible due to the vigorous policy that we have led with the backing of President Trump, and thanks to the military pressure of IDF soldiers in the Gaza Strip.”
Netanyahu stressed that Israel had not offered any ceasefire in return for the release, and that Hamas had been forced to release Alexander under fire, implying that the rest of the remaining 20-30 living hostages could likewise be released without giving up Israel’s war operations or goals.
Earlier this month, Israel said that it would launch a full occupation of Gaza, designed to root out Hamas entirely, in an operation called “Gideon’s Chariots” — unless Hamas agreed to release all Israeli hostages by the end of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East, which runs Tuesday through Friday.
Trump is visiting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, but will not be stopping in Israel.
Many Israelis and supporters of Israel have worried that the Trump administration, and Witkoff in particular, may offer too many concessions for the sake of reaching deals with Hamas and Iran — though a widely-cited quote by Witkoff blaming Israel for prolonging the war appeared to be second- or third-hand and unverified.
Mencer also said that 856 Israeli soldiers had died in the war thus far since October 7, 2023. He struggled to continue the briefing after announcing the death of Sgt. Yishai Elyakim Urbach, 20, whom his family knew personally, and who was killed in fighting in Gaza last week.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of Trump 2.0: The Most Dramatic ‘First 100 Days’ in Presidential History, available for Amazon Kindle. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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