by Temitope Oladeji
12/5/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly rejected the possibility of a ceasefire in Gaza or the release of Palestinian prisoners in response to Hamas’s announcement that it will release Edan Alexander, a US-Israeli soldier held captive inside Gaza territory.
Netanyahu’s comments came as Israeli airstrikes continued overnight, killing at least ten people in an attack on a school sheltering displaced civilians, Gaza’s civil defence authority disclosed.
The Israeli prime minister emphasized that negotiations for a broader hostage release deal would proceed even amid more intensified military operations.
Netanyahu said, “Hamas has been presented with a deal that could enable the release of our hostages, and we are in critical days”.
The Israeli Prime Minister further said in a statement from his office. “These efforts will continue under fire, and alongside preparations for an escalation in fighting.”
Hamas authorities confirmed on Sunday that they would release Alexander, who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship, and that the move came as part of direct negotiations with the United States toward a potential ceasefire.
A spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing stated on Monday morning that the soldier’s release would go ahead as promised.
Netanyahu credited Israel’s military campaign for prompting Hamas’s offer, saying that “military pressure” had paved the way for Alexander’s imminent release.
Meanwhile, two Hamas officials reported that negotiations were progressing in Doha, Qatar, with the involvement of United States mediators, though no final agreement has been reached.
Gaza remains under a complete Israeli blockade imposed since the 2nd of March, leaving its 2.3 million residents heavily reliant on international aid, which has dwindled to critical levels.
Juliette Touma, Communications Director for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), warned that children in Gaza are facing severe malnutrition as the aid blockade enters its ninth week.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recently warned that its humanitarian efforts in Gaza are nearing collapse.
The organization’s director-general called on world governments to immediately prevent further catastrophe.
Casualties continue to mount amid Israel’s renewed offensive.
Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal reported that an overnight airstrike hit the Fatima Bint Asad school in Jabalia, killing at least ten people, including women and children, and wounding dozens. The school was sheltering more than 2,000 displaced individuals.
Another 12 fatalities were reported from various Israeli strikes across Gaza on Sunday, according to local officials.
Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on 18 March, effectively ending a ceasefire that had been in place since January. The offensive was reignited following the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
According to Gaza’s health authorities, 2,720 people have been killed since the resumption of hostilities, bringing the total number of deaths in Gaza since the war began to 52,829.
Hamas and other militant factions in Gaza are still holding 58 hostages from the 7 October attack that claimed the lives of 1218 Israelis.
The Israeli military believes that at least 34 of them are no longer alive.