LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Here is the moment a mother greeted her 21-year-old son after he was released from Hamas captivity in Gaza.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
YAEL ALEXANDER: (Screaming, non-English language spoken).
FADEL: Dual U.S.-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander was freed yesterday thanks to a direct deal between Hamas and the U.S. Now the U.S. is jump-starting talks to try to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. Let's get the latest from NPR's Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv. Good morning, Daniel.
DANIEL ESTRIN, BYLINE: Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: So listening to that clip, a clearly very emotional reunion. How is Edan Alexander doing?
ESTRIN: He appeared pale as he was released, but well. In video clips the Israeli government has released, he greeted his family with hugs and smiles and tears. He reacted surprised at how big his little brother had grown since he had been in captivity. So he's undergoing tests now in an Israeli hospital. Edan Alexander grew up in New Jersey. He actually moved to Israel to volunteer to enlist in the military, and he was captured from his base on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked. And Israeli media are reporting distressing details they said he recalled from his more than 18 months in captivity.
This morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Alexander on the phone. There had been plans to try to get Alexander to fly to Qatar, we heard, to meet with President Trump when he's there later this week, but Alexander's family says, as of now, he will not make that trip. Yesterday, masked Hamas militants handed him over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and then they drove him to the Israeli military. Jake Kurtzer from the ICRC told me this is a moment.
JAKE KURTZER: The situation has deteriorated so dramatically over the last two months that we have to take moments of opportunity and try as much as possible to use this particular moment to try to find a better path forward.
FADEL: So let's talk about this moment. What are the chances that this hostage release will lead to a breakthrough and a ceasefire after months of on-and-off talks and this blockade of aid?
ESTRIN: Yeah, President Trump said he wants a ceasefire, and he wants food to get back into Gaza. He spoke on the phone yesterday with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Netanyahu has agreed to send negotiators to Qatar today for talks. Trump himself will be in Qatar later this week, looking to seal business deals for the U.S., and he expects results on these talks as well. Israel says it wants to negotiate a ceasefire based on a previous U.S. proposal that Hamas would first release half of the living hostages. Israel says there are around 20 living hostages left in Gaza. Israel did pause airstrikes briefly when Alexander was released, but it's renewed those strikes in Gaza now. There was a strike on a hospital that killed at least two patients, according to Gaza health officials. Israel says it was targeting Hamas operatives using the hospital as a base. But, Leila, Netanyahu really is in a bind now because Trump wants a ceasefire and Israel is preparing for a major expansion of the war.
FADEL: So let's talk about the politics behind all this 'cause it's unusual to see Trump appearing to differentiate or diverge from Netanyahu.
ESTRIN: It is unusual. I mean, Trump has changed U.S. policy. His administration negotiated a separate and direct deal with Hamas. So we're seeing Israel's biggest ally acting independently of Israel. It's a rift that's become very public on all kinds of issues - Iran nuclear negotiations, a truce with the Houthis in Yemen that excludes Israel, a deal with Saudi Arabia that doesn't include ties with Israel. So we're going to be seeing very critical days coming forward with Trump in the region. Many Israelis are concerned if there is no breakthrough on a ceasefire, Trump could go back to Washington, get distracted with other issues and Israel could just pursue its plans for an extended offensive in Gaza.
FADEL: That's NPR's Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv. Thank you, Daniel.
ESTRIN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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