Image by Jennifer Grismer.

This week, the Resistance in Gaza released American-Israeli dual citizen Eidan Alexander, who had been serving in a foreign army, as a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration. Initial examinations by the Red Cross and Israeli doctors confirmed that Alexander is in good health. The freed soldier appeared well-nourished and physically fit—an image that starkly contrasts with the dire reality in Gaza, where children are starving and the elderly are dying from preventable diseases due to Israel’s blockade on medical aid.

The release was possible only because the current administration, unlike President Biden’s, did not fully defer to Israeli demands and instead engaged in direct negotiations with the Resistance in Gaza.

However, as with previous gestures, this goodwill risks emboldening a racist Israeli government that has shown little respect for past agreements. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to claim that Alexander’s release resulted from “military pressure”—a euphemism for Israel’s starvation tactics and indiscriminate bombing.

The day after releasing Alexander, rather than seizing the opportunity to respond in kind and allow desperately needed food and medical aid into Gaza, Netanyahu doubled down on his belligerent stance. In a display of delusional arrogance, he pompously declared his willingness to receive ten more captives—while simultaneously reaffirming his refusal to end the siege-induced starvation of the civilian population.

One has to wonder whether even Donald Trump would respond........

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