Trump officials talk up 'better chance' of Israel-Hamas ceasefire after hostage Edan Alexander's release
Senior Trump administration officials are talking up the prospects of a breakthrough in ceasefire and hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas, following the release of the last surviving Israeli American hostage from captivity in Gaza.
Soldier Edan Alexander was freed after more than 580 days held by Hamas, in a deal struck between the militant group and the United States government.
There are still 58 hostages remaining in Gaza, with only 20 of them believed to still be alive.
While they languish in captivity, the chorus of criticism of Israel for continuing its total humanitarian blockade of Gaza is growing, as forecasts of famine hitting the strip loom.
The White House's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff and hostage envoy, Adam Boehler remained in Israel after Mr Alexander's release, and as the President Donald Trump landed in Saudi Arabia for a tour of Arab states.
The pair ventured to Tel Aviv's Hostage Square, and met with some families of remaining hostages, while being questioned about the prospects for relative peace in Gaza.
'I think there is a better chance now than before, I think that Hamas knows that they can pull a deal any day that they want,' Mr Boehler said.
'They need to approach Trump, they need to approach Bibi [Netanyahu], and they need to set this up the right way."
Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Mr Alexander on Tuesday.
In video released by the Prime Minister's office, the former hostage can be heard telling Mr Netanyahu he was 'fine' but 'weak'.
Mr Witkoff was also on the call, and praised the Netanyahu Government's involvement.
'I've told Edan and his family everything that you have done to make this possible for the last several days,' the US special envoy said.
'It was a tense negotiation and it was critical how you were, how you allowed the negotiations to operate, and that's in large part the reason that Edan is home with his family today."
The Netanyahu Government has been widely criticised by hostage families for prolonging the war for political purposes, delaying agreement on releasing captives in an effort to continue attacking Hamas in Gaza.
Edan Alexander's return, and the dealings between Hamas and the US on securing his freedom without the direct involvement of Israeli authorities, is being viewed as further evidence of that.
The desperation from Palestinians for some breakthrough, after months of stalled talks between Israel and Hamas, is impossible to ignore.
Palestinian health authorities report more than 52,000 people have been killed by Israel in the course of the war, and humanitarian agencies said food and vital supplies across the strip are just days away from running out.
Donald Trump is not scheduled to visit Israel during his visit to the Middle East – his first major overseas trip since returning to the White House for a second term.
But the war in Gaza looms large over the tour of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar – with the Saudi Crown Prince hoping to cement his role as a key player in the region, and Qatar playing a role as a mediator in the Gaza conflict.
The Saudi royal court rolled out the welcome mat for the president as he landed in Riyadh.
President Trump and Mohammed Bin Salman signed a series of memorandums in the royal palace, spruiking the ties between their two nations and foreshadowing US $600 billion in investment.
Among the deals was a commitment to strengthen defence industry ties to the tune of nearly US $142 billion, including in air and missile defence programs, and Saudi investment of US $20 billion on artificial intelligence.
'Number one, I like visiting with you, and we've known each other very well, and I really believe we like each other a lot,' President Trump said.
'And, number two, for the United States, we've brought tremendous investment in and tremendous jobs, and we continue to service your great country very well."
Trump lieutenant Elon Musk was among a delegation of American business leaders also present at the summit.
President Trump will travel to Qatar later in the week, where he is facing controversy for signalling he would accept a gift of a US $400 million plane to replace the United States Air Force One.
It is unclear whether he will travel to Istanbul for mooted peace talks between the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
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