Trump’s Middle East visit comes with Netanyahu under pressurepublished at 11:28 British Summer Time
11:28 BST
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, in Tel Aviv
The
expected release of Evan Alexander happens a day before President Trump is due
to arrive in the region. Families of the hostages who remain in Gaza, some
of them gathered here in Tel Aviv, hope this moment will lead to a deal that
results in all captives being freed, without further delays.
Hamas has
described this decision as a goodwill gesture, and says it is ready to
negotiate an agreement that includes the end of the war, a condition that has
been repeatedly rejected by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
For a long time,
critics of the prime minister have accused him of not being interested in a
deal and of prolonging the war for political purposes – in particular, to
please hardline members of the coalition that sustains his government.
In
recent days, multiple reports have suggested that the Trump administration is
increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu. This could result in pressure on Netanyahu to
accept a deal, and he might be left with no other alternative.
After 19 months,
public support in Israel for the war is falling, and the security cabinet’s
decision last week to expand the military offensive if there is no deal by the
end of Trump’s visit has been controversial, here and elsewhere.
How this will
fundamentally change the situation on the ground remains unclear. With some of
Netanyahu’s allies, including far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich, speaking
about seizing territory and occupying Gaza, many are questioning what his true
intentions are.