Egypt Daily News – The Al-Qassam Brigades broadcast a video message from the Israeli-American prisoner Alexander Aidan, in which he strongly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing him as a “dictator.” Alexander Aidan also directed criticism at former U.S. President Donald Trump. In the video aired by Al-Qassam, the military wing of Hamas, he said: “We truly believe we will return to our homes dead; there is nothing to say, there is no hope.”
He added that Netanyahu’s government had abandoned the prisoners and hindered the implementation of a prisoner exchange deal that Hamas had agreed to.
Aidan accused the Israeli leadership of “wasting opportunities,” noting that the deal that Israel thwarted would have included his release. He further stated, “Every day I see Netanyahu controlling the state like a dictator.”
Aidan, who holds U.S. citizenship, also sent a message to former U.S. President Donald Trump, saying: “Why did you fall victim to Netanyahu’s lies?” He accused the Israeli government, the military, and the U.S. administration of “lying to him and deceiving him.”
This message from Aidan comes at a time when Cairo and Washington are working to reinvigorate negotiations for a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal.
According to diplomatic sources, Egypt has proposed a plan that includes a ceasefire for 40-50 days, a mutual release of 8 living Israeli prisoners and 8 of their corpses, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army from areas in Gaza, and the resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries.
Israel responded to the initiative with a request for the release of a larger number of living prisoners, along with a willingness to redeploy forces in certain areas, amidst ongoing gaps regarding the number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for each Israeli prisoner.
Steve Witkoff, the U.S. President’s special envoy to the Middle East, informed the mediators that the United States would guarantee serious negotiations to end the war if Hamas agreed to the deal. A Hamas delegation, headed by Khalil al-Hayya, is expected to arrive in Cairo on Saturday to continue talks on the Egyptian proposal.
Mediators are currently working on formulating a new proposal in an attempt to bridge the gaps between the two sides, with Israeli accusations of Hamas being “intransigent,” while Hamas accuses Tel Aviv of reneging on the terms of the previous agreement, particularly the second phase, which was supposed to include completing the prisoner exchange and ending military operations.
These developments come at a time of increasing public pressure within Israel, especially from families of the prisoners, on the Israeli government to reach an agreement, amid rising tensions on multiple fronts in the region.
