By WAFAA SHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY and TIA GOLDENBERG, Related Press
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An American-Israeli soldier taken captive and held for greater than 19 months within the Gaza Strip is anticipated to be launched on Monday, Hamas mentioned, as a part of a goodwill gesture for the Trump administration that might lay the groundwork for a brand new ceasefire between the warring sides.
Edan Alexander was snatched from his army base in southern Israel throughout Hamas’ cross-border terrorist assault on Oct. 7, 2023, which set off the battle in Gaza. His anticipated launch could be the primary since Israel shattered an eight-week ceasefire with Hamas in March, when it unleashed fierce strikes on Gaza which have killed a whole bunch.
Hamas has been designated as a terrorist group by the US, Canada and the European Union.
Israel has additionally promised to intensify its offensive, together with by seizing the territory and displacing a lot of its inhabitants once more. Earlier than the ceasefire’s demise, Israel blocked all imports from getting into the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave, deepening a humanitarian disaster there and sparking warnings of a danger of famine if the blockade isn’t lifted. Israel says the steps are supposed to stress Hamas to simply accept a ceasefire settlement on Israel’s phrases.
Israel says that, together with Alexander, 59 hostages stay in captivity, about 24 who’re mentioned to be alive and the remaining are deceased. Lots of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants within the 2023 assault had been freed in ceasefire offers.
Trump says the anticipated launch is ‘hopefully’ a step towards ending the battle
After saying on Sunday its intention to launch Alexander, Hamas mentioned in an announcement on Monday that the handover would happen later within the day. Israeli authorities didn’t reply to requests for touch upon the timing of the discharge.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who is about to reach within the Center East on Tuesday on his first official overseas journey, mentioned Sunday that the deliberate launch is “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.”
“Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!” Trump mentioned on his social media platform Reality Social.
Trump, who’s touring to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, isn’t scheduled to cease in Israel.
An Israeli official mentioned that Trump envoy Steve Witkoff was anticipated in Israel on Monday and would meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s safety Cupboard to debate nuclear talks with Iran and efforts to free extra hostages. The official spoke on situation to of anonymity consistent with rules.
Alexander’s household, which is predicated within the U.S., was on path to Israel, based on the Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board, a bunch representing the captives’ households.
Israel says it nonetheless plans to escalate its offensive in Gaza
On Monday, an announcement from Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned Alexander’s launch was anticipated, with out indicating timing, and that Israel was not granting any concessions for it.
The assertion mentioned Israel didn’t decide to a ceasefire or to free Palestinian prisoners as a part of the discharge and that it had solely agreed to create a “safe corridor” to permit for Alexander to be returned.
The assertion mentioned Israel would nonetheless stick with it with its plans to ramp up its offensive in Gaza regardless of the anticipated hostage launch. Israel says it received’t launch that plan till after Trump’s go to to the Center East this week, to permit for a possible new ceasefire deal to emerge.
A press release by the workplace on Sunday mentioned the U.S. had instructed Israel that Alexander’s launch might result in a brand new cope with Hamas to free extra hostages.
Netanyahu faces criticism for not liberating all of the hostages
Israel’s actual involvement in getting the discharge off the bottom wasn’t instantly clear. But it surely created a backlash in opposition to Netanyahu, with critics accusing him of getting to depend on a overseas chief to assist free the remaining hostages.
On the opening of his trial for alleged corruption, the place he’s giving testimony, a girl within the courtroom requested whether or not he was “ashamed that the president of the United States is saving his citizens and he is leaving them to die there in captivity?”
Critics accuse Netanyahu of not doing sufficient to free the hostages, saying his insistence on maintaining the battle in Gaza is politically motivated. Netanyahu says he goals to realize Israel’s twin battle objectives, liberating the hostages and dismantling Hamas.
Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 folks and took 250 captive within the 2023 assault. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 52,800 Palestinians, a lot of them ladies and kids, based on Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which doesn’t say how lots of the useless had been combatants or civilians. It obliterated huge swaths of Gaza’s city panorama and displaced 90% of the inhabitants, typically a number of instances.
Magdy reported from Cairo and Goldenberg from Tel Aviv, Israel. Related Press author Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
Initially Printed: Could 12, 2025 at 7:28 AM EDT
