Hamas launched Edan Alexander, the final residing American hostage it held in Gaza, on Monday night, after mediators brokered a deal between the group and the USA that largely circumvented the Israeli authorities. Hamas and the Israeli army confirmed the handover.
Mr. Alexander’s launch got here on the eve of a go to by President Trump to the Center East, and was portrayed by Hamas officials as an try to safe U.S. help for a wider deal to finish the warfare.
Mr. Alexander, 21, was amongst roughly 250 folks seized and brought to Gaza through the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that ignited the warfare in Gaza. A twin Israeli American nationwide serving within the Israeli Military, he was captured from a army publish that morning. He grew up in New Jersey and moved to Israel after highschool to hitch the army.
Not like most different hostages, Mr. Alexander was launched with out a formally introduced cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, highlighting the failure of efforts to secure a broader truce between the 2 sides. Hamas nonetheless holds at the very least 20 residing hostages — together with some 40 lifeless our bodies, together with these of a number of Individuals — however it’s reluctant to launch extra of them except Israel agrees to carry negotiations to finish the warfare. Israel desires the fitting to proceed the warfare after any future truce, resulting in an deadlock within the talks.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, stated in a press release on Monday that Mr. Alexander’s launch confirmed the advantages of putting Hamas underneath larger army strain. In March, Mr. Netanyahu ordered the Israeli army to break an earlier cease-fire, saying it could drive the group to launch extra hostages and result in its whole army defeat.
However critics of Mr. Netanyahu’s technique have stated Mr. Alexander’s launch as an alternative highlighted the failure of such an strategy, since he was being launched primarily due to U.S. strain relatively than Israeli motion. Rising numbers of Israelis help securing a deal to free all hostages, even when such a truce would require Mr. Netanyahu to compromise, finish the warfare, and permit Hamas to outlive. Mr. Netanyahu introduced on Monday that he would ship a delegation to hitch negotiations for a brief cease-fire, disappointing those that need him to comply with a everlasting truce with a view to free all of the hostages.
Because of this, the kin of hostages nonetheless in Gaza stated that they had blended emotions about Mr. Alexander’s launch. Many gathered in Tel Aviv on Monday to name for a broader deal.
Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod remains to be held in Gaza, stated hewas completely happy for Mr. Alexander however annoyed that he was being launched “solely as a result of he’s an American citizen.”
Nonetheless, Mr. Cohen noticed hope in how Mr. Trump was prepared to work round Mr. Netanyahu. “He’s shedding persistence,” Mr. Cohen stated of Mr. Trump. “We hope that it’s a brand new begin of a brand new hostage deal, forcing Netanyahu to finish the warfare, get all of the hostages.”
Mr. Trump helped to gas such hopes by saying on social media on Sunday that Mr. Alexander’s launch might be “the primary of these ultimate steps crucial to finish this brutal battle.”
U.S. officers met in person with Hamas leaders this 12 months, earlier than breaking off contact following complaints from Israel. It’s unclear if direct contact was resumed to dealer Mr. Alexander’s launch.
Adam Boehler, one of many U.S. officers who met with Hamas this 12 months, posted {a photograph} of himself with Mr. Alexander’s mom, Yael, as they took the identical airplane from the USA to Israel to greet Mr. Alexander upon his launch.
With no finish to the warfare in sight, help businesses have warned of a rising threat of hunger in Gaza. A United Nations-backed initiative that displays malnutrition, the Built-in Meals Safety Part Classification, stated on Monday that Israel risked inflicting a famine if it proceeded within the coming weeks with a deliberate army advance. In such a scenario, the initiative stated in a brand new report, “The overwhelming majority of individuals within the Gaza Strip wouldn’t have entry to meals, water, shelter, and drugs.”
Since March, Israel has blocked all food and fuel supplies to the territory, a lot of which is occupied by Israeli troops, saying that it wished to cease any provides and earnings from reaching Hamas.
Civilians have borne the brunt of Israel’s restrictions. The gas embargo has made it virtually unimaginable to distribute meals to sure elements of Gaza, and the dearth of latest meals deliveries has prompted current shares to dwindle. In late April, the World Meals Program introduced that its meals provides within the territory had run out, whereas the U.N. company that aids Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, stated it had no extra shares of flour.
Gabby Sobelman and Rawan Sheikh Ahmad contributed reporting.
