Day 584 - Backstory behind US hostage Edan Alexander's release

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Hamas has stated that in an “act of good faith,” it will release the final living US-Israeli hostage, Edan Alexander, today as US President Donald Trump begins to make his way to his visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Magid talks about his exclusive look into how the negotiations were carried out.

US envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff reportedly said during conversations with hostages' families that “Israel is prolonging the war, even though we do not see where further progress can be made.” This harsh statement came as the US made a separate peace agreement with the Iran-backed Houthis and is directly negotiating with Iran for a nuclear deal Israel is not supporting. Is Israel losing the backing of its closest ally?

Trump’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday is also set to include Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Syria’s interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Arabic media reported Sunday. Magid weighs in on how likely this meeting is to take place and what Trump is trying to accomplish in his Mideast trip.

Iran and the United States wrapped up nuclear talks in Oman on Sunday with no apparent breakthrough in a standoff over uranium enrichment, but with both sides confirming plans for future negotiations. We discuss how Trump's Mideast trip may or may not influence future rounds of talks.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Hamas set to free US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander Monday in goodwill gesture to Trump

Backchannel helped secure release of American-Israeli hostage, sources tell ToI

Witkoff said to tell hostage families Israel pointlessly extending war, US urging deal

Trump’s meeting with Saudi ruler said set to include leaders of PA, Lebanon, Syria

Tehran says 4th round of nuclear talks difficult, while US ‘encouraged’

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.

IMAGE: Varda Ben Baruch holds an image of her grandson, hostage Edan Alexander, in Jerusalem on October 25, 2023. (Yuri CORTEZ / AFP)

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