As the days go by, we Jews continue to push for the return of the hostages still in Gaza. The state of Israel is being asked to end the war in Gaza as hostage talks between Israel and Hamas continue in Doha. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, is refusing to end the war despite numerous protests from the public. Steve Witkoff, the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, has further explained to mediators that Washington does not plan to force Israel to end the war in Gaza.
As of May 2025, Netanyahu has only agreed to a temporary ceasefire spanning roughly 45 days, beginning with the release of 10 hostages. During this time, Israel will discuss solutions that aim to establish a permanent end to the war. But the war continues on as Hamas rejects Israel’s propositions under the claim that it wants “up-front Israeli commitment”. American, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators continue to look for a solution that works for both sides. While these mediators search for said solution, Israel has pledged to launch a major military operation to reoccupy the Gaza Strip if Hamas does not accept the proposal for a temporary ceasefire.
Israel also waits to determine if the IDF strike targeting Muhammad Sinwar, brother of the now-deceased Yahya Sinwar, resulted in a success. However, as time goes on, their faith in his death wanes. Israel has claimed it would like to expand the war if this continues, though the hostages’ families believe it won’t be effective. Netanyahu has yet to agree to Hamas’s proposal of releasing all of the hostages in exchange for the end of the war. His logic stems from the belief that Hamas would still be in power if he were to make that decision.
Regarding said hostage releases, Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli-American hostage, was recently freed from Hamas captivity after 584 days. He credits the inauguration of President Donald Trump to the improvement of conditions in Gaza. His aunt, Sharon Senyor, shared that, “He [Edan] said that since Trump took power his conditions improved. From the moment they started to talk about him, they gave him more food so that he would gain weight.” Alexander mentioned that he was placed in a “VIP tunnel” with a senior Hamas official to serve as both a human shield and to provide him further protection due to his American citizenship. He is expected to meet President Trump in person very soon.
A dual citizen, Alexander grew up in New Jersey until he was 18 years old and went on to serve in the Golani Unit of the IDF. He was serving in the Golani when he was abducted from his base near the Gaza border in the community of Nirim. He is the first male IDF soldier to be freed by Hamas since the start of the war. Welcome, Edan! We prayed for your return and continue to pray for the return of all our dear hostages.
