Edan Alexander, the last known living American hostage held in Gaza, has been released by Hamas.
Alexander, who was captured by Hamas during the October 7 terror attacks, was handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis on Monday as part of efforts to re-establish ceasefire talks.
His release is seen as a gesture from the militant group toward Donald Trump ahead of the U.S. president’s Middle East visit this week, where the Israel-Hamas war is expected to be a major focus of discussions.
In a statement following his release, Hamas said: This comes as part of the efforts being made by mediators to achieve a ceasefire, open the crossings, and allow aid and relief to reach our people in the Gaza Strip.”
The 21-year-old’s mother, Yael, urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to finalise a deal to secure the return of the remaining hostages.
“This isn’t over. We have more hostages in Gaza. We cannot rest and we cannot forget, everyone needs to come home” she told reporters upon landing at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.
After Alexander’s release, 58 hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of whom are thought to still be alive.
Ahead of the handover of President Trump expressed hope that this would mark a significant step toward resolving the crisis.
In a post on social media platform TruthSocial, he said: “I am grateful to all those involved in making this monumental news happen. 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.”
Israeli Kan Radio reported that Israel Defense Force (IDF) operations had been limited across the Gaza Strip to avoid harming Alexander during the transfer.
This is the first handover of any hostage from the Gaza Strip since March when the first phase of the latest ceasefire came to an end, followed by Israel’s breaking of the ceasefire on March 18 with heavy airstrikes.
Alongside ongoing military operations in the territory, Israel has imposed a near-total blockade on Gaza Humanitarian aid has been unable to reach Palestinians for nearly eight weeks and international organisations have called for an end to Israel’s blockade.
Gaza’s population of 2.1 million is facing acute food insecurity, with one in five people facing starvation, according to A UN-backed assessment from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.
Dr Saeed Salah, medical director of the Patients Friends Benevolent Society Hospital in Gaza, warned that the hospital was facing a crisis with fuel, oxygen and equipment shortages, putting several critical patients at risk.
“The war must end now, and humanitarian and medical aid must be allowed into Gaza before more lives are lost,” he said in a statement to Medical Aid for Palestinians on May 12.
On May 5, Israel announced that it would significantly expand its military operations in Gaza, with the ultimate goal of occupying the entire strip indefinitely.
Read more: ‘No One’s Coming’: Inside Gaza as Israel Expands Its Military Control
As part of the operation, Israel plans to establish a new process for aid distribution through approved bodies in designated areas.
This has been criticized by international organizations, including The UN Humanitarian Country Team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory which said: “ [The plan] contravenes fundamental humanitarian principles and appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic – as part of a military strategy. It is dangerous, driving civilians into militarized zones to collect rations.”
The post Hamas Releases American-Israeli Hostage in Gaza Ahead of Trump’s Middle East Visit appeared first on TIME.
