President Isaac Herzog watched the release of Israeli-US hostage Edan Alexander on his phone in the final minutes of his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin this afternoon.

Six Bulgarians convicted of carrying out a sophisticated spying operation for Russia were sentenced by a London judge Monday to prison terms up to nearly 11 years. The group that used Hollywood code names discussed kidnapping or killing Kremlin opponents as they targeted reporters, diplomats and Ukrainian troops in the U.K., Germany Austria, Spain and Montenegro between 2020 and 2023, prosecutors said. No one was physically harmed but the group put lives in jeopardy, prosecutors said. “It is self-evident that a high price attaches to the safety and interests of this nation,” Justice Nicholas Hilliard, said. “The defendants put these things at risk by using this country as a base from which to plan the various operations.

A heartfelt moment occurred when Steve Witkoff passed the phone to Edan Alexander’s mother, enabling her to talk with her son for the first time since being kidnapped 583 days ago.

The decision by Hamas to hand over Israeli-American hostage Idan Alexander should not be seen as an act of mercy but rather as a calculated political step directed at the United States, according to Dr. Amnon Sofrin, a former head of the Mossad intelligence agency.
Speaking on Kan Moreshet, Dr. Sofrin asserted that the release was designed as a message to Washington, possibly crafted to influence President Donald Trump with an eye toward future negotiations. He emphasized that the timing was deliberate, pointing to Hamas’s desire to manipulate how it is perceived globally and to impact the tone of upcoming diplomatic interactions.

The burial of IDF soldier Tzvi Feldman, who fell in the First Lebanon War in 1982 and remained unaccounted for over four decades, took place on Monday at the military cemetery in Holon. Feldman’s body was recovered as a result of a secret Israeli operation conducted in Syria, a country ravaged by conflict.
The funeral procession began at the IDF Rabbinate facility in the Shura military base, with mourners following the solemn journey to Feldman’s final resting place.
At the graveside, Yitzhak Feldman paid tribute to his brother. “The Prime Minister always promised he would bring Tzvika back,” he said. “Yesterday, I told him, you fulfilled your oath.”

On Monday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the emotional return of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, who had been held in Gaza. In a heartfelt statement, Netanyahu said, “This is a very emotional moment – Edan Alexander has returned home. We embrace him and we embrace his family.” The Prime Minister attributed Alexander’s release to a combination of military and diplomatic efforts, specifically highlighting the role of U.S. President Donald Trump. “This was achieved thanks to our military pressure and the diplomatic pressure applied by President Trump. This is a winning combination,” Netanyahu stated. He revealed that he spoke with Trump earlier in the day, noting, “I spoke with President Trump today. He told me ‘I am committed to Israel.

Speaking at the military’s hostages and missing persons headquarters during the release of hostage soldier Staff Sgt. Edan Alexander, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir vows that the army will continue to work for the release of the remaining captives held by Hamas.

Family getting up: Friday (5/16/25)Morning R’ Avraham Chaim WeissSon

Cheers erupt as the convoy transporting Edan Alexander arrives in Israel.