Hostage reunites with household after being freed by Hamas

Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander has been reunited along with his household in Israel after being held captive by Hamas in Gaza for 19 months.

The 21-year-old had been serving within the Israeli military on the border of Gaza when he was captured by Hamas militants on 7 October 2023.

On Monday, Israel paused its army operations in Gaza for just a few hours to facilitate the switch. A senior Hamas official advised the BBC the discharge was meant as a goodwill gesture and as a part of efforts to succeed in a brand new ceasefire deal forward of US President Donald Trump’s go to to the Center East on Tuesday.

Mr Alexander is considered the final US citizen held by Hamas who was nonetheless alive.

President Trump provided “congratulations” to his household on his launch.

Tv footage present Edan Alexander smiling as he embraces his dad and mom and siblings at an Israeli army base.

In a press release, his household thanked the US president but additionally urged the Israeli authorities and negotiators to proceed working to free the 58 remaining hostages.

Mr Alexander is the primary hostage to be freed by Hamas since Israel restarted its army offensive on 18 March, after a two-month ceasefire got here to an finish.

On Monday, he was seen with masked Hamas fighters as they handed him over to Purple Cross employees within the southern Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis.

He was then transferred to Israeli authorities in Gaza earlier than being reunited along with his household in southern Israel. The Israeli army mentioned it supplied a “protected hall” for Mr Alexander’s launch.

A video shared on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s X account confirmed Yael Alexander talking to her son over the telephone.

“You might be sturdy. You might be protected. You might be dwelling,” she mentioned within the video.

Netanyahu known as Mr Alexander’s return a “very shifting second” – and thanked Trump for his assist.

The discharge had been made potential due to army strain on Hamas and “the political strain exerted by President Trump”, Netanyahu mentioned.

He added that Israel meant to proceed with plans to accentuate its army actions in Gaza and that there can be no ceasefire.

Hamas had earlier mentioned Mr Alexander’s launch was meant to facilitate a deal for the entry of humanitarian support into the enclave.

Israel has blocked the entry of all meals, treatment and different humanitarian provides into Gaza for 70 days, which support companies say quantities to a coverage of hunger and could possibly be a warfare crime, and renewed its aerial bombardment and different army operations there in mid-March.

Hamas has beforehand mentioned it is going to solely conform to a deal that features the top of the warfare. This has been repeatedly rejected by Netanyahu.

Trump is because of arrive within the Center East on Tuesday, and Israel has vowed to broaden its army offensive in opposition to Hamas if no deal is reached by the top of his go to.

Israeli officers have mentioned the plans for his or her expanded offensive embody seizing all of Gaza indefinitely, forcibly displacing Palestinians to the south, and taking up support distribution with personal firms regardless of opposition from the UN and its humanitarian companions, who say they won’t co-operate as a result of it seems to “weaponise” support.

Israel is because of ship representatives to Qatar on Thursday to debate a proposal on additional hostage releases.

Qatar and Egypt mentioned that Mr Alexander’s launch was an encouraging signal of potential new truce talks.

Born in Tel Aviv however raised in New Jersey, Mr Alexander had been serving in an elite infantry unit on the Gaza border when he was captured by Hamas militants throughout the 7 October 2003 assault.

About 1,200 individuals have been killed and 251 hostages taken. Some 58 hostages stay, as much as 24 of whom are believed to be alive.

5 of the captives held in Gaza are believed to have US citizenship. Mr Alexander is considered the final American nonetheless alive.

Israel’s army marketing campaign has killed 52,829 individuals in Gaza, in response to the Hamas-run well being ministry, together with 2,720 Palestinians killed since March.