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Hamas released Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander on Monday in what it billed a goodwill gesture to Donald Trump ahead of the US president’s trip to the Gulf this week.
The Israeli military said it was accompanying Alexander back to Israel after the Palestinian militant group handed him over to the Red Cross in the Gazan city of Khan Younis.
Hamas seized Alexander, a 21-year-old serving in the Israeli military, during its cross-border assault from Gaza on October 7 2023, which triggered the war.
He would be the first hostage released since a previous ceasefire-for-hostage deal ended in March, after which Israel broke the truce with Hamas.
The Israeli military appeared to halt most offensive operations in Gaza earlier on Monday to secure the handover.
Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya had said the move to release Alexander showed a “high level of positivity” by the group in a bid to secure a long-term ceasefire with Israel and end the war in Gaza.
But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the release — secured directly between US officials and Hamas — did not come with any “conditions”, such as a ceasefire or the freeing of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Alexander is believed to be the last living American national still being held captive in the strip, alongside 58 other hostages. Israel believes more than half of those to be dead, including four dual Israeli-American nationals.
In a social media post ahead of Alexander’s release Trump — who is set to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday — said: “This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones.”
“We hope that we’re going to have other hostages released too,” Trump said when asked on Monday whether he expected the ceasefire to continue.
Alexander’s family members, who travelled from the US, are set to meet him at an Israel Defense Forces base in the south of the country where he will receive initial medical care before a planned transfer to hospital for further tests.
Senior Trump administration officials Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler, who secured Alexander’s release, were also present at the base.
International mediators from the US, Qatar and Egypt hope to use Alexander’s return to thrash out a more durable ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Netanyahu on Monday said he had spoken with Trump and thanked the US president for securing Alexander’s release, and added that he was dispatching an Israeli negotiating team to Doha on Tuesday to take part in talks.
But the Israeli leader again insisted any deal would only be a temporary, multi-week truce to secure the return of more living hostages.
Israeli officials last week said that the end of Trump’s regional visit provided a “window of opportunity” for Hamas to release more hostages before Israel expanded its new offensive in Gaza.
Netanyahu in March restarted the military campaign against Hamas in a bid to pressure the group to release additional hostages. Israel has also cut off all aid to Gaza since then, intensifying a humanitarian crisis in the territory.
The Israeli premier has consistently refused to meet Hamas’s core demand that he end the conflict in return for the remaining hostages, vowing instead to continue the war until the militant group is defeated.
“Negotiations would only take place under fire,” Netanyahu repeated again on Monday.
Israel’s offensive has killed more than 52,000 people since the war began, according to local officials, with Israeli officials saying 1,200 were killed during the October 7 attack and some 250 taken hostage.
On Monday, relatives of those Israelis still held hostage implored the US president to intervene once more and secure their freedom: “President Trump — please don’t stop. This is only the first step. Do whatever is necessary to bring EVERY last one home.”
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