Following his release, American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander spoke with Trump by phone, revealing he was held in a tunnel without sunlight or air and severely underfed. The newspapers described mounting tensions between Netanyahu and Trump, with reports that Trump was conducting negotiations with Hamas, the Houthis, and Iran independently.
Trump began his Middle East trip by landing in Saudi Arabia, signing a historic $142 billion arms deal, while notably bypassing Israel. Reports emphasized that Saudi normalization with Israel was "off the table" during this visit.
Meanwhile, Israel's Attorney General ordered military conscription notices for all ultra-Orthodox men, triggering threats from religious parties to collapse the government if a single yeshiva student was arrested.
By afternoon, the IDF launched a dramatic strike on Khan Younis' European Hospital, targeting Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar in an operation compared to Nasrallah's assassination. Officials expressed optimism that Sinwar was eliminated and suggested this could advance hostage negotiations.