Hamas launched Edan Alexander, the final dwelling 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.
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 officers as an try and 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 navy put up that morning. He grew up in New Jersey and moved to Israel after highschool to affix the navy.
Not like most different hostages, Mr. Alexander was launched with no formally introduced cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, highlighting the failure of efforts to safe a broader truce between the 2 sides. Hamas nonetheless holds a minimum of 20 dwelling hostages — together with some 40 useless our bodies, together with these of a number of People — however it’s reluctant to launch extra of them until Israel agrees to carry negotiations to finish the warfare. Israel needs the fitting to proceed the warfare after any future truce, resulting in an deadlock within the talks.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, mentioned in an announcement on Monday that Mr. Alexander’s launch confirmed the advantages of inserting Hamas beneath better navy stress. In March, Mr. Netanyahu ordered the Israeli navy to break an earlier cease-fire, saying it will drive the group to launch extra hostages and result in its complete navy defeat.
However critics of Mr. Netanyahu’s technique have mentioned Mr. Alexander’s launch as a substitute highlighted the failure of such an method, since he was being launched primarily due to U.S. stress moderately 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 affix negotiations for a brief cease-fire, disappointing those that need him to comply with a everlasting truce to be able to free all of the hostages.
In consequence, the kin of hostages nonetheless in Gaza mentioned they’d 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 continues to be held in Gaza, mentioned he was completely satisfied 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 keen to work round Mr. Netanyahu. “He’s shedding endurance,” Mr. Cohen mentioned 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 gasoline such hopes by saying on social media on Sunday that Mr. Alexander’s launch may very well be “the primary of these remaining steps obligatory to finish this brutal battle.”
U.S. officers met in particular person with Hamas leaders this yr, 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 yr, posted {a photograph} of himself with Mr. Alexander’s mom, Yael, as they took the identical aircraft from the USA to Israel to greet Mr. Alexander upon his launch.
With no finish to the warfare in sight, assist companies have warned of a rising threat of hunger in Gaza. A United Nations-backed initiative that screens malnutrition, the Built-in Meals Safety Part Classification, mentioned on Monday that Israel risked inflicting a famine if it proceeded within the coming weeks with a deliberate navy advance. In such a state of affairs, the initiative mentioned in a brand new report, “The overwhelming majority of individuals within the Gaza Strip wouldn’t have entry to meals, water, shelter, and medication.”
Since March, Israel has blocked all meals and gasoline provides to the territory, a lot of which is occupied by Israeli troops, saying that it wished to cease any provides and income from reaching Hamas.
Civilians have borne the brunt of Israel’s restrictions. The gasoline embargo has made it nearly inconceivable to distribute meals to sure elements of Gaza, and the shortage 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, mentioned it had no extra shares of flour.
Gabby Sobelman and Rawan Sheikh Ahmad contributed reporting.
