INTERNACIONAL
Edan Alexander’s release offers ‘window of opportunity’ for wider hostage deal amid Trump Middle East visit
American and Israeli officials believe the release of Edan Alexander, 21, presents a «window of opportunity» to free the remaining 58 hostages still held by Hamas after 585 days since their capture on Oct. 7, 2023.
Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and hostage envoy Adam Boehler will travel from Israel to Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday for further negotiations for the release of not only the 24 hostages still believed to be alive, but also the bodies of at least 34 individuals who have been held by the terrorist group including four Americans: Itay Chen, Omer Neutra, and Gadi Haggai and Judi Weinstein Haggai.
In a nearly two-hour meeting with Witkoff, Boehler and the Hostages Families Forum, both officials emphasized that they remain committed to returning all hostages and confirmed they would not be traveling to Doha if they did not believe there was a real chance in advancing negotiations.
Edan Alexander, center, speaks with loved ones following his release. (IDF)
AMERICAN HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER RELEASED BY HAMAS AFTER MORE THAN 580 DAYS IN CAPTIVITY
While Alexander’s return has been championed as a major success story, and both President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were reported to have spoken with the Israeli American from a hospital in Tel Aviv, immense concern remains over the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.
Though Israel ceased its military operations in the Gaza Strip to secure the safe transport of Alexander on Monday, it has not committed to any continued cessation of strikes.
In Witkoff’s comments to the families of the hostages, he said President Trump would not «tolerate anything other than everybody coming home, and he will be relentless in that pursuit.» He continued, «you saw what happened with the Houthis. You saw what happened when people don’t do well with the United States, we don’t do so well with them. So it’s a message of do what we ask you to do. And you know then things will be better.»
Israeli reports also suggested the envoy may be feeling frustrated with his Israeli counterparts.
«We want to bring the hostages home, but Israel is not willing to end the war. Israel is prolonging it despite the fact that we don’t see where else we can go and that an agreement must be reached,» Witkoff reportedly said during the meeting with the hostage families.
«There is currently a window of opportunity that we hope Israel and all the mediators will take advantage of,» he was reported to have added. «We are putting pressure on all the mediators and doing everything we can to bring the hostages home.»
The comments reportedly come following reports that Trump has also grown increasingly frustrated with his Israeli counterpart.
Edan Alexander thanks President Donald Trump in a handwritten message following his release from captivity in Gaza. (The White House)
TRUMP STRAINS RELATIONSHIP WITH NETANYAHU AS MIDDLE EAST POLICY INCREASINGLY ISOLATES ISRAEL
Israel said last week that Trump’s visit to the Middle East would be «the window of opportunity» to secure a ceasefire otherwise it would continue with its newly announced plans to capture all of Gaza, despite immense international pushback and concerns over human rights abuses and violations of U.N.-established borders.
The comments came after Netanyahu prompted immense outcry after he said his number one priority was destroying Hamas, not returning the hostages, despite opposition to the plan by the majority of Israelis.
On Monday, Netanyahu reiterated his intent to «destroy» Hamas while speaking with injured reservists and confirmed that even if Hamas agrees to return the hostages, Israel will continue with its military operations.
People hold posters of hostages during a rally to mark the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel, on Oct. 6, 2024 in New York City. (Noam Galai/Getty Images)
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«In the coming days, we are going in with full force to complete the operation. Completing the operation means defeating Hamas. It means destroying Hamas,» he said.
«It’s possible that Hamas will say, ‘Time out — we want to release ten more [hostages].’ Fine, bring them. We’ll take them, and then we’ll go in. But there will not be a situation in which we stop the war. There may be a temporary ceasefire, but we’re going all the way,» he confirmed.
Witkoff’s team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions.
INTERNACIONAL
Ecuador: el presidente Noboa llega a su segundo año en el poder marcado por una primera gran derrota en las urnas y la violencia del narcotráfico
1.- La mayor derrota en las urnas
2.- Economía
3.- Conflicto armado interno
La Policía de Ecuador se enfrenta con manifestantes durante una protesta este domingo, en Quito (Ecuador). Foto EFE4.- Crisis carcelaria
5.- Crisis diplomática con México
6.- Tensiones políticas
7.- Relaciones internacionales
INTERNACIONAL
Trump orders Epstein files release, welcomes Mamdani, crown prince to White House in busy week
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President Donald Trump kicked off the week meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and closed the week meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
He also signed legislation ordering the Justice Department to release files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Here’s a look at what happened this week.
Epstein files
Trump announced Wednesday evening that he put his stamp of approval on a bill instructing the Justice Department to release files related to Epstein — after Congress passed the measure Tuesday.
TRUMP SAYS WHETHER HE WOULD SIGN EPSTEIN FILES BILL
«I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!» Trump wrote in a lengthy message on the Truth Social platform. «As everyone knows, I asked Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, to pass this Bill in the House and Senate, respectively. Because of this request, the votes were almost unanimous in favor of passage.
«At my direction, the Department of Justice has already turned over close to fifty thousand pages of documents to Congress. Do not forget — The Biden Administration did not turn over a SINGLE file or page related to Democrat Epstein, nor did they ever even speak about him.»
Trump’s ties to Epstein had faced increased attention after Trump’s Justice Department and FBI announced in July it would not unseal investigation materials related to Epstein, and that the agencies’ investigation into the case had closed.
Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump pose together at the Mar-a-Lago estate, Palm Beach, Florida, Feb. 22, 1997. (Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)
TRUMP CALLS ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO VOTE TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES: ‘WE HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE’
However, Trump announced Nov. 16 that he backed releasing the documents, claiming that he had «nothing to hide.»
Ultimately, the House voted Tuesday to release the files by a 421–1 margin, following pressure for months from the measure’s ringleaders, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and other Democrats.
The Senate passed the measure by unanimous consent later Tuesday.
BIDEN’S SAUDI FIST BUMP DREW HEAT IN 2022 — TRUMP JUST ROLLED OUT THE RED CARPET
Mamdani meeting
Mamdani visited Trump at the White House Friday, and the two appeared chummy and ready to launch a fresh start in their relationship. The two said they discussed addressing affordability issues and improving conditions in New York.
Trump said the two had more in common than he anticipated, and that he would be «cheering» for Mamdani as he leads the city.
«I expect to be helping him, not hurting him — a big help,» Trump said.
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump take questions from the press following their one-on-one meeting, Friday, in the Oval Office of the White House. (Pool/Fox News)
EPSTEIN REFERENCED TRUMP IN PRIVATE EMAILS TO GHISLAINE MAXWELL AND OTHERS, NEW RECORDS SHOW
Trump also brushed off Mamdani’s comment labeling him a despot in his victory speech following the Nov. 4 election, with the president claiming Friday he’s encountered worse and that he believes Mamdani will change his tune as the two work together.
«I’ve been called much worse than a ‘despot,’ so it’s not, it’s not that insulting,» Trump said. «I think he’ll change his mind after we get to working together.»
Saudi crown prince meeting
Trump also met with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House Tuesday, an occasion that included a red carpet rolled across the South Lawn, military honor guard, and an Air Force flyover to elevate the formal state-level welcome.
During bin Salman’s visit, the U.S. announced that it would sell F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia, and that it would now be a «major non-NATO ally» to facilitate military cooperation between the two countries.
«President Trump approved a major defense sale package, including future F-35 deliveries, which strengthens the U.S. defense industrial base and ensures Saudi Arabia continues to buy American,» the White House said in a statement.
Trump’s reception of bin Salman is a departure from the Biden administration, who said in 2019 during his presidential campaign that he would make Saudi Arabia «the pariah that they are» because of the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
President Donald Trump’s reception of Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman is a departure from the Biden administration. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in 2021 that bin Salman gave the green light on the operation that took Khashoggi’s life. Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident, was brutally murdered in Istanbul at the Saudi consulate in 2018.
But Trump defended bin Salman Tuesday, and accused a reporter who asked about U.S. intelligence reports linking the prince to Khashoggi’s death of embarrassing bin Salman.
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«A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about,» Trump said Tuesday. «Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen, but he knew nothing about it. And would you leave it at that? You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question.»
Even so, bin Salman has dismissed the reports as false. When asked Tuesday about Khashoggi, bin Salman said it’s «painful» to hear of the death of anyone for «no real purpose,» and «we are doing our best that this doesn’t happen again.»
donald trump,white house,jeffrey epstein,zohran mamdani,saudi arabia
INTERNACIONAL
Israel eliminates Hezbollah’s top military commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai in targeted Beirut strike
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killed Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff, in Beirut, calling him a «mass murderer» responsible for attacks on Israelis and Americans.
Netanyahu framed the strike as part of Israel’s ongoing effort to dismantle Hezbollah’s leadership and prevent the group from rebuilding its arsenal after recent operations. He warned that Israel would not tolerate future threats from Lebanon and urged its government to disarm Hezbollah.
«A few hours ago, the IDF eliminated Ali Tabatabai, the chief of staff of the Hezbollah terrorist organization,» Netanyahu said. «Tabatabai is a mass murderer. His hands are soaked in the blood of many Israelis and Americans, and it is not for nothing that the U.S. put a bounty of $5 million on his head.»
The prime minister said Tabatabai was a senior commander in the Radwan Force, which he said prepared to invade the Galilee and kill Israeli civilians.
ISRAELI STRIKE TARGETS HAMAS LEADERSHIP IN QATAR
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Nov. 23, 2025, that Israel Defense Forces killed Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff, in Beirut. (Jacquelyn Martin/Getty Images)
Netanyahu said Tabatabai most recently led Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm after the group suffered major losses in the «Pager Operation,» including damage to missile stockpiles and the killing of Nasrallah.
«I thank the IDF and the security forces that carried out a professional, accurate and successful operation today,» Netanyahu said. «The policy I am leading is absolutely clear: Under my leadership, the State of Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its power and we will not allow it to pose a threat to the State of Israel again.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH BORDER TENSIONS RISE AS TERROR GROUP REARMS, RESISTS US- BACKED CEASEFIRE
Hezbollah terrorists are taking part in cross-border raids in 2023. (Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
«I expect the government of Lebanon to fulfill its commitment to disarm Hezbollah,» he added. «Because only in this way can a better future be made possible for every citizen in Lebanon and only in this way can good and secure neighborly relations be established between Israel and Lebanon.»
Netanyahu also commended President Donald Trump for vowing to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, saying the group endangers stability throughout the Middle East and beyond.
NETANYAHU CALLS ON NEIGHBORING NATIONS TO JOIN ISRAEL IN ‘EXPELLING HAMAS’ FROM REGION
Hezbollah members salute and raise the group’s yellow flags during the funeral of their fallen comrades Ismail Baz and Mohamad Hussein Shohury, who were killed in an Israeli strike on their vehicles, in Shehabiya in south Lebanon on April 17, 2024. (AFP via Getty Images)
Hezbollah confirmed Tabatabai’s death by posting a photo on its Telegram accounts, signaling the loss of one of its top commanders. A translation of the image’s caption reads, «Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah. The great jihadi leader Haitham Ali Tabatabai (Sayyed Abu Ali), 1968–2025.»
Earlier Sunday, the prime minister’s office said the IDF carried out the Beirut strike on the recommendation of the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff. Shortly after the operation, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel will continue to act decisively against threats from Lebanon.
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«Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have his hand cut off,» Katz said. «Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are determined to continue the policy of maximum enforcement in Lebanon and elsewhere. We will not allow a return to the reality before Oct. 7.»
benjamin netanyahu,middle east,lebanon,terrorism
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