Hamas says freed US-Israeli hostage
Palestinian militant group Hamas said its armed wing handed over a US-Israeli hostage held in Gaza since October 2023 on Monday, ahead of a regional visit by US President Donald Trump.
"The (Ezzedine) Al-Qassam Brigades have just released the Zionist soldier and American citizen Edan Alexander, following contacts with the US administration, as part of the efforts undertaken by mediators to achieve a ceasefire," Hamas said in a statement Monday.
A source close to the militant group said Alexander had been handed over to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis.
It comes a day after Hamas revealed it was engaged in direct talks with Washington towards a ceasefire.
"We affirm that serious and responsible negotiations yield results in the release of prisoners, while the continuation of aggression prolongs their suffering and may kill them," Hamas said in a statement.
"We urge President Trump's administration to continue its efforts to end this brutal war," it added.
The liberation of Alexander -- the last living hostage in Gaza with American citizenship -- comes ahead of a visit to the region by Trump, who is due in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the president "for his assistance in the release" of Alexander, a statement from his office said.
Netanyahu also said he had instructed a negotiating team to head to Qatar on Tuesday to discuss the further release of hostages.
The Israeli prime minister had earlier said that "Israel has not committed to a ceasefire of any kind or the release of terrorists but only to a safe corridor that will allow for the release of Edan".
Negotiations for a possible deal to secure the release of all hostages would continue "under fire, during preparations for an intensification of the fighting", Netanyahu added.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the UN- and NGO-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)warned that Gaza was at "critical risk of famine", with 22 percent of the population facing an imminent humanitarian "catastrophe" after more than two months of a total aid blockade by Israel.
- 'Opportunity to breathe' -
An Israeli official said earlier on Monday that the military was preparing for the return of Alexander, "who will be transferred by a special unit to the initial reception facility in Re'im" near the Gaza border in southern Israel.
A Hamas source meanwhile said that mediators informed the group that Israel would halt military operations for the handover of the 21-year-old soldier.
The pause offered a much-needed respite for residents of the war-battered territory.
Somaya Abu Al-Kas, 34, who had been displaced to the southern city of Khan Yunis, said that "a little while ago, calm settled over Gaza, there was no shelling, and no nearby aircraft, which is very rare".
"We are tired of the shelling, and any ceasefire, even if temporary, we consider it an opportunity to breathe and gather ourselves," said the 34-year-old
But Um Mohammed Zomlot, also displaced in Khan Yunis, said that "despite the calm, we are cautious".
"Everyone is afraid that the shelling might resume suddenly after the prisoner is released," said Zomlot, 50.
Gaza's civil defence agency had earlier reported at least 10 killed in an overnight Israeli strike on a school housing displaced people.
- 'Good faith gesture' -
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the largest grouping of hostages' relatives in Israel, called for a gathering at the plaza dubbed Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, ahead of Alexander's release.
"We must not leave anyone behind!" the group said in a statement.
After Hamas announced it would release Alexander on Sunday, Trump hailed the "monumental news" in a post on social media, describing it as a "good faith gesture".
"Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict," he added.
Egypt and Qatar, who along with the United States have mediated talks between Hamas and Israel, also welcomed the development, describing it in a joint statement as "a gesture of goodwill and an encouraging step toward a return to the negotiating table".
Earlier, two Hamas officials told AFP that talks were ongoing in Doha with the United States and reported "progress".
Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, 57 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel ended a two-month ceasefire on March 18, ramping up its bombardment of the territory.
Earlier this month, the Israeli government approved plans to expand its Gaza offensive, with officials talking of retaining a long-term presence there.
Hamas's 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday that at least 2,749 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,862.
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Y.Giroux--PP
