From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 12, 2025
Fearing US wrath, Hamas to limit media access to Alexander handover
Stav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
Following Hamas’s announcement that it will release hostage Edan Alexander, Saudi news outlet Asharq Al-Awsat reports that only the terror group’s media wing will be allowed to document the handover, in an effort to “avoid any incident that could provoke the American administration.”
A similar protocol was followed during the release of former hostage Hisham al-Sayed in February, which took place under a temporary ceasefire.
Both Israel and the US had complained about other Hamas handover ceremonies, which featured gauche displays in which hostages were paraded through jeering crowds of Gazans, forced to confess love for their captors and mockingly informed of the murders of their loved ones.
The Times of Israel Community.