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Hamas has released an Israeli-American hostage agent who was imprisoned for 19 months to Israeli troops as part of the efforts to reach a new cease-up-ridingal, the group said.
Edan Alexander, 21, had served in the Israeli army on the border of Gaza when he was captured by Hamas militants on 7 October 2023.
On Monday, Israel paused his military operations in Gaza for a few hours to facilitate the transfer. A senior Hamas officer told the BBC that the release was intended as a goodwill -gesture for the visit of US President Donald Trump at the Middle East on Tuesday.
Alexander is supposed to have been the last American national living life of Hamas. Trump offered ‘congratulations’ to his family after his release.
In a statement, his family thanked the American president, but also insisted on the Israeli government and negotiators to keep working to free the 58 remaining hostages.
Mr. Alexander is the first to be freed by Hamas, because Israel restarted his military offensive on March 18, after a two-month ceasefires came to an end.
On Monday he was seen with masked Hamas hunters while they handed him to Red Cross employees in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
He was then transferred to the Israeli authorities in Gaza before being reunited with his family in southern Israel. The Israeli army said it offered a “safe corridor” for the release of Mr. Alexander.
A video that is shared about the X account of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu account, showed Yael Alexander who spoke to her son by telephone.
‘You are strong. You are protected. You’re at home, “she said in the video.
Netanyahu called Mr Alexander’s return a “very moving moment” – and thanked President Trump for his support.
The release was made possible because of the military pressure on Hamas and “the political pressure exerted by President Trump,” said Netanyahu.
He added that Israel intended to continue plans to intensify his military actions in Gaza and that there would be no cease -the fire.
Hamas had previously said that Mr. Alexander’s release was intended to facilitate a deal for the accession of humanitarian aid to the enclave.
For 70 days, Israel has blocked the accession of all food, medication and other humanitarian stocks to Gaza, which aid organizations say it is a hunger policy and could be a war crime, and his air bombing and other military operations renewed there mid -March.
Hamas has said earlier that it will only agree to a deal with the end of the war. This was repeatedly rejected by Netanyahu.
Trump will arrive in the middle on Tuesday and Israel has sworn to expand his military offensive against Hamas if no deal is reached towards the end of his visit.
Israeli officials have said that the plans for their extensive offensive include the seizure of all the territory for an indefinite period of time, compelling Palestinians to the south and taking over auxiliary distribution with private companies, despite opposition from the UN and its humanitarian partners, who say that they will not work “in”.
Israel will send representatives to Qatar on Thursday to discuss a proposal about further hostages.
Qatar and Egypt said that Mr. Alexander’s release was an encouraging sign of potential new stations.
Born in Tel Aviv but grew up in New Jersey, Mr. Alexander had served in an elite infantry unit on the border of Gaza when he was captured by Hamas militants during the attack of 7 October 2003.
About 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages were taken. There are still around 58 hostages left, of whom a maximum of 24 is supposed to live.
Five of the prisoners in Gaza are supposed to have American citizenship. Mr. Alexander is considered the last American who is still alive.
Israel’s military campaign killed 52,829 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-Runned Health Minister, including 2,720 Palestinians who have been killed since March.
