Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander released by Hamas in Gaza

Hamas has released an Israeli-American hostage held captive for 19 months to Israeli forces arsenic portion of efforts to scope a caller ceasefire deal, the radical said.

Edan Alexander, 21, had been serving successful the Israeli service connected the borderline of Gaza erstwhile helium was captured by Hamas militants connected 7 October 2023.

On Monday, Israel paused its subject operations successful Gaza for a fewer hours to facilitate the transfer. A elder Hamas authoritative told the BBC the merchandise was intended arsenic a goodwill motion up of US President Donald Trump's sojourn to the Middle East connected Tuesday.

Mr Alexander is thought to beryllium the past US national held by Hamas who was inactive alive. Trump offered "congratulations" to his household connected his release.

In a statement, his household thanked the US president but besides urged the Israeli authorities and negotiators to proceed moving to escaped the 58 remaining hostages.

Mr Alexander is the archetypal to beryllium freed by Hamas since Israel restarted its subject violative connected 18 March, aft a two-month ceasefire came to an end.

On Monday, helium was seen with masked Hamas fighters arsenic they handed him implicit to Red Cross workers successful the confederate Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis.

He was past transferred to Israeli authorities successful Gaza earlier being reunited with his household successful confederate Israel. The Israeli subject said it provided a "safe corridor" for Mr Alexander's release.

A video shared connected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's X relationship showed Yael Alexander speaking to her lad implicit the phone.

"You are strong. You are protected. You are home," she said successful the video.

Netanyahu called Mr Alexander's instrumentality a "very moving moment" - and thanked President Trump for his support.

The merchandise had been made imaginable due to the fact that of subject unit connected Hamas and "the governmental unit exerted by President Trump", Netanyahu said.

He added that Israel intended to proceed with plans to intensify its subject actions successful Gaza and that determination would beryllium nary ceasefire.

Hamas had earlier said Mr Alexander's merchandise was intended to facilitate a woody for the introduction of humanitarian assistance into the enclave.

Israel has blocked the introduction of each food, medicine and different humanitarian supplies into Gaza for 70 days, which assistance agencies accidental amounts to a argumentation of starvation and could beryllium a warfare crime, and renewed its aerial bombardment and different subject operations determination successful mid-March.

Hamas has antecedently said it volition lone hold to a woody that includes the extremity of the war. This has been repeatedly rejected by Netanyahu.

Trump is owed to get 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 Gaza indefinitely, forcibly displacing Palestinians to the south, and taking implicit assistance organisation with backstage companies contempt absorption from the UN and its humanitarian partners, who accidental they volition not co-operate due to the fact that it appears to "weaponise" aid.

Israel is owed to nonstop representatives to Qatar connected Thursday to sermon a connection connected further hostage releases.

Qatar and Egypt said that Mr Alexander's merchandise was an encouraging motion of imaginable caller truce talks.

Born successful Tel Aviv but raised successful New Jersey, Mr Alexander had been serving successful an elite infantry portion connected the Gaza borderline erstwhile helium was captured by Hamas militants during the 7 October 2003 attack.

About 1,200 radical were killed and 251 hostages taken. Some 58 hostages remain, up to 24 of whom are believed to beryllium alive.

Five of the captives held successful Gaza are believed to person US citizenship. Mr Alexander is thought to beryllium the past American inactive alive.

Israel's subject run has killed 52,829 radical successful Gaza, according to the Hamas-run wellness ministry, including 2,720 Palestinians killed since March.