Don’t Let Up

One More Home

Today Hamas released an Israeli-American hostage as we’re told in a report from The Jerusalem Post but not everyone is happy:

Kibbutz Nir Oz said that it's hard to ignore the message received by Israelis and the entire world that their lives are worthless following the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander in a statement on Monday evening.

"At the same time, it is hard to ignore the harsh message received today by the citizens of the State of Israel — and conveyed to the entire world: our lives are worth less. A hostage with an American passport is given priority, while the other 58 hostages are left behind — including 14 members of the Nir Oz community, and the anxiety for their fate is greater than ever."

They have a point but their anger should be aimed at Hamas who released Alexander for political purposes. In any event, he is home but how he was treated should also anger and concern those who need the remaining living hostages to be released as we hear in another report, this one from The Times Of Israel:

According to Channel 12 News, a Red Cross official said Alexander’s “physical condition was poor, but he is smiling,” and that he required assistance getting into the car.

Alexander told soldiers who received him in the Strip that Hamas subjected him to harsh torture for weeks on end and kept him in a cage over a long period of time with his hands and feet bound, the Kan public broadcaster reported.

He was apparently held in a Hamas tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, alongside other hostages.

In another article, this from World Israel News we get more on how Alexander was treated:

The IDF soldier was confined for extended periods and interrogated by his Hamas captors for weeks in the period following the October 7th massacre.

Alexander was given very little food and was held without regular sunlight exposure.

Unfortunately those hostages who are still in captivity are not being treated any better. At this point we need to pray that either Hamas turns them all over in one group or that Israel with maybe the help of the US rescues them. I have little to no hope that Hamas will release them all so you know what I think will happen next.

A Little Breathing Room

Hamas got a short reprieve from fighting while Alexander was being released, but the IDF is poised to start going after Hamas again as we’re told in a report from The Jerusalem Post:

“Within days, things are going to happen in Gaza — things you’ve never seen before," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the War Wounded Forum on Monday.

Before the PM addressed resuming the fighting he met with wounded soldiers:

According to a handout, the prime minister met with wounded soldiers for an hour and a half and listened to the soldiers’ stories of heroism and injury.

But then he stated that the IDF is ramping things up in Gaza now that Alexander is back home:

Netanyahu's statement comes after Israeli sources have signalled IDF readiness to expand combat operations in the Gaza Strip.

An Israeli official source told The Jerusalem Post that the moment Edan Alexander returns home, Israel will resume combat operations in Gaza.

The IDF had stopped operations in Gaza for the Israeli-American hostage's safe crossing, but emphasized that it would resume combat as soon as he was in Israel.

And as I hoped, Israel isn’t giving letting his release stop the ultimatum they issued earlier:

Additionally, on Sunday, an Israeli official told the Post that Israel’s ultimatum to Hamas regarding the launch of a widened Gaza offensive is still in effect after Alexander's release.

Israel previously gave Hamas a deadline to either release 10 hostages in exchange for a 45-day ceasefire or face a widened Gaza offensive.

As a reminder, here is what will happen four days from now if no hostage deal is reached:

“The plan includes... seizing and holding territory in Gaza, moving the Gazan population southward for their protection, preventing Hamas from distributing humanitarian aid, and launching powerful strikes against Hamas – all actions that will help bring about its defeat," a senior political source told the Post.

So we should rejoice that Edan Alexander is back with his loved ones regardless of the politics behind it. Now we need to pray that Israel has the backbone to not let up on Hamas.