Hamas releases Israeli American hostage in Gaza

GAZA CITY, Palestine /ISTANBUL

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas released Israeli American hostage Edan Alexander in Gaza on Monday evening.

Alexander was handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the southern city of Khan Younis, Israeli Channel 7 reported.

Alexander is the last known living US hostage held in Gaza.

The Israeli military said in a statement on X that its forces in Gaza received Alexander from the ICRC. It said elite unit soldiers were accompanying him back to Israeli territory, where he will “undergo an initial medical assessment and be reunited with his family.”

In an earlier statement, the military said the ICRC had notified it of the handover, which Israel’s public broadcaster reported took place north of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Israel’s public broadcaster also reported that US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Israeli coordinator for missing and captive persons Gal Hirsch were en route to the Re’im military base near Gaza aboard a helicopter to receive Alexander.

Alexander’s release was part of indirect negotiations between Hamas and the US, with mediation by Egypt and Qatar, and no Israeli involvement.

Separately, an Israeli negotiating delegation is scheduled to depart Tuesday for Doha to discuss a potential ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal. The decision followed a meeting between Netanyahu, Witkoff, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, which included a call with President Trump.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Netanyahu and Witkoff agreed that the Israeli team would remain in Doha until at least Thursday, coinciding with Trump’s planned visit to the Qatari capital.

Trump is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between May 13 and 16—his first trip to the region since beginning his second term in January.

Tel Aviv estimates that 58 Israeli captives remain in Gaza, including 21 who are still alive.

Meanwhile, more than 9,900 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, where they face torture, starvation, and medical neglect—conditions that have led to multiple deaths, according to reports by Palestinian and Israeli media and human rights organizations.

Nearly 52,900 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.