Hostage families: Alexander release puts Netanyahu’s feet to fire on freeing the rest

The Hostage Families Forum says the looming release of Israeli-American Edan Alexander from Hamas captivity, under an arrangement reached between Hamas and Washington, will test whether Israel’s leadership is similarly committed to its citizens.

“The expected release of Edan shows that a determined leader is committed to his citizens,” the forum says in a statement, without naming US President Donald Trump.

The group calls on Prime Minister Benjamin  Netanyahu to take advantage of the opening created by the release, which is expected to take place over the next day, to reach a breakthrough in talks for the remaining hostages.

“Prime minister, what of your commitment to the 58 remaining hostages,” the forum challenges him. “Will you choose to make history, to return all of them and allow Israeli society to recover? Or will you continue playing for time and dodging responsibility at the cost of  shredding Israeli society, seriously harming the hostages and preventing the possibility of returning the remains [of those killed]?”