Hamas to release US-Israeli hostage as part of efforts to reach Gaza ceasefire

Hamas says it volition merchandise Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander arsenic a portion of efforts to scope a ceasefire statement successful Gaza.

The 21-year-old worker is the past surviving hostage with US nationality being held successful the territory.

It comes aft a elder Hamas authoritative told the BBC that the Palestinian equipped radical was holding nonstop negotiations with a US medication authoritative successful Qatar. The authoritative said talks had been ongoing for respective days and were focused connected securing a truce and facilitating the introduction of humanitarian aid.

The Israeli premier minister's bureau said it had been informed by the US of the Hamas volition to merchandise Alexander.

A elder Palestinian authoritative acquainted with the negotiations told the BBC that Hamas's announcement was intended arsenic a goodwill motion earlier President Donald Trump arrives successful the Middle East connected Tuesday.

He said different gathering betwixt Hamas and the mediators was scheduled for aboriginal Monday greeting to finalise the process of Edan's release, which would necessitate a impermanent halt to Israeli subject enactment and a suspension of aerial operations during the handover.

Born successful Tel Aviv but raised successful New Jersey, Alexander was serving successful an elite infantry portion connected the borderline with Gaza erstwhile helium was captured by Hamas militants during the 7 October attack.

Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's 2023 attack, 59 stay successful the enclave, up to 24 of whom are believed to beryllium alive. Five of the hostages successful Gaza are believed to beryllium US citizens and Alexander was thought to beryllium the lone 1 inactive alive.

In its statement, Hamas said the merchandise was portion of efforts to execute a ceasefire and let food, medicine and different supplies into Gaza - which has been nether a implicit blockade by Israel for 70 days. The radical said it wanted to scope a last statement to extremity the war.

The Israeli premier minister's bureau said successful a connection that it had been informed by the US of the Hamas volition to merchandise Alexander "as a motion towards the Americans" and that the determination was expected to pb to negotiations connected further hostages.

Israel's argumentation was that negotiations would beryllium conducted "under fire, based connected the committedness to execute each of the objectives of the war", it added.

The Families and Missing Families Forum run radical said Alexander's merchandise "must people the opening of a broad statement that volition unafraid the state of each remaining hostages".

They said President Trump had "given the families of each the hostages hope" and urged Netanyahu to present "bring everyone back".

Hamas has successful the past said it volition lone hold to a woody that includes the extremity of the war, thing that has been repeatedly rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The talks betwixt Hamas and the US are taking spot amid aggregate reports suggesting increasing vexation successful the Trump medication with Netanyahu's position. The premier curate is besides nether unit astatine home, with galore accusing him of prolonging the warfare for governmental purposes.

President Donald Trump arrives successful the Middle East connected Tuesday, and Israel has vowed to grow its subject violative against Hamas if nary woody is reached by the extremity of his visit.

Israeli officials person said the plans for their expanded violative see seizing each of the territory indefinitely, forcibly displacing Palestinians to the south, and taking implicit assistance organisation with backstage companies contempt protests from the UN and its humanitarian partners.

Israel has already blocked the introduction of each food, medicine and different humanitarian supplies into Gaza for 70 days and renewed its aerial bombardment and different subject operations determination successful mid-March, which person since killed 2,720 Palestinians according to the Hamas-run wellness ministry.

Since the opening of the year, according to the UN, astir 10,000 cases of acute malnutrition among children person been identified. Food prices person rocketed by arsenic overmuch arsenic 1,400%.

The warfare was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks connected confederate Israel connected 7 October 2023, which saw astir 1,200 radical killed and much than 250 taken hostage. Some 59 are inactive held captive, up to 24 of whom are believed to beryllium alive.

Israel's subject run has killed 52,829 radical successful Gaza, according to the Hamas-run wellness ministry.