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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that the expected release of a US-Israeli hostage by Hamas will not result in a ceasefire or the freeing of Palestinian detainees.
Netanyahu, in a statement issued Monday, May 12, 2025, confirmed that any negotiations for a broader hostage deal would proceed “under fire,” alongside preparations for more intense military bombardment in Gaza.
The comments came a day after Hamas announced plans to release Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old US-Israeli dual national and soldier who has been held in Gaza since October. The group also revealed it was engaged in direct negotiations with the United States over a potential ceasefire agreement.
Although no specific date for Alexander’s release was provided, his family said they had been informed he could be freed “in the coming days.”
Netanyahu stated that Israel had not agreed to any ceasefire or the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange.
He hinted that a secure route to facilitate Alexander’s release had been arranged, stressing that the development had been made possible solely through ongoing military pressure in Gaza.
“We are in the midst of crucial days, with Hamas presented with a proposal that could allow for the return of our hostages,” he said.
Two Hamas representatives confirmed to AFP that negotiations with US officials were ongoing in Doha, Qatar, and said there had been signs of progress.
Despite diplomatic activity, the Israeli airstrikes and killings raged on. In the early hours of Monday, Israeli airstrikes hit a school sheltering displaced civilians in northern Gaza.
Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that at least 10 people — including women and children — were killed in the attack on the Fatima Bint Asad school in Jabalia. The facility was reportedly housing over 2,000 displaced people at the time, many of whom were civilian women and children.
“Dozens of wounded, along with the dead, were transported from the site,” said Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence authority.
Hamas and other groups are still believed to be holding 58 hostages captured during the October 7 assault on Israel. According to the Israeli military, 34 of those hostages are presumed dead.
