Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander, freed from captivity in Gaza, has refused to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and thanked US President Donald Trump. Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, reported the rejection on Monday evening, adding to growing tension over Netanyahu’s handling of the Israeli prisoner file.
Netanyahu’s office had claimed credit for Alexander’s release. In an official statement, it said the prime minister led the main effort and that U.S. President Donald Trump only “assisted”. The statement followed the release of Alexander, which was secured through direct talks between Hamas and the Trump administration, excluding Israel.
In a video released by Hamas’s armed wing last November, Alexander harshly criticized Netanyahu. He accused the Israeli leader of abandoning the Israeli prisoners and urged Trump, then President-elect, to secure his release.
“You neglected us,” Alexander said in the footage. “We die a thousand times every day, and no one feels our pain.”
He pleaded with the Israeli public to pressure the government. He also slammed U.S. policy under former President Joe Biden, saying American weapons helped kill fellow Israeli prisoners in Gaza. “Don’t let me die like Hersh,” he said, referring to Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli prisoner believed to have been killed in an Israeli strike.
Alexander had repeatedly urged Netanyahu to stop the war, agree to a prisoner exchange, and halt strikes that endangered Israeli prisoners. Despite these pleas, Netanyahu pressed on with attacks. Many analysts and families of prisoners believe Israel may have targeted captive sites on purpose, trying to erase the Israeli prisoner file through force.
Alexander, a 21-year-old “lone soldier” from New Jersey, was captured from a tank while serving in the Israeli military on October 7, 2023. He served in the Israeli military out of ideological commitment. His mother said she learned he was alive from a female prisoner who met him in detention. He had asked for water, and the guards allowed him to drink before separating them.
Despite Netanyahu’s claim of success, public anger is growing. Hundreds of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv today, demanding the government bring back the rest of the prisoners.
Meanwhile, Alexander’s family says he will soon travel to Doha to meet President Trump and Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Trump played a direct role in mediating his release.
Netanyahu said negotiations will continue but only “under fire.” He also announced that a team would head to Doha for talks, despite the ongoing Israeli attacks.
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