From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
At Hostages Square, Witkoff calls hostage release a ‘beacon of hope’ for rest
Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff says he wants the release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander to be a “beacon of hope” for the hostage families, as he makes his way through Hostages Square in Tel Aviv.
After visiting Alexander at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center this morning, Witkoff is asked by Israeli journalist Amichai Stein what message he has for the families of the remaining 58 hostages in Gaza today. “I hope this is a beacon of hope for everybody else,” he says.
President Trump envoy tells me: the release of Edan Alexander is a beacon of Hope pic.twitter.com/qGuIldwQto
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) May 13, 2025
The envoy also praises Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani for their help in the release process, despite Israel apparently being bypassed in the negotiations that led to Alexander being set free.
“Thank God for President Trump. And, by the way, the prime minister [Netanyahu] did an exceptional job here, as did the Qatari PM,” says Witkoff before walking through a scrum of journalists, well-wishers and security guards.
He tells reporters his meeting with Alexander in the hospital was “inspirational for all of us.”
Noting that Alexander spoke by phone with Netanyahu, Witkoff says “the prime minister was incredible in this effort” to secure Alexander’s release. “It wouldn’t have happened without him.”
Alexander also spoke to Trump, and “it was Donald Trump who guided this,” Witkoff says.
The Times of Israel Community.