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Hamas authorities on Sunday released the last American hostage, a 21-year-old named Edan Alexander who was reunited with his family after meeting them in Israel. The Israeli prime minister’s office announced that Edan’s release will not be tied to “anything in return,” with the government’s current policy on Gaza expected to continue.
Alexander was taken hostage in the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel during his voluntary service to the Israel Defense Forces at the age of 19, and he had been in Gaza for over 550 days before his release on Sunday. Alexander was part of 251 hostages that had been taken that day, 24 of whom are still believed to be held in Gaza. In late 2024, Hamas delivered a proof-of-life video of Alexander, showing him in an emotional state.
Members of the US Congress recently sent a joint letter to the White House urging President Donald Trump’s administration to prioritize Alexander’s release by accelerating the efforts and utilizing “all diplomatic tools at [their] disposal.” Subsequently, the release was reportedly facilitated through negotiations involving US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and efforts by the mediating countries Qatar and Egypt. Yael Alexander, Edan’s mother, personally arrived in Israel to be reunited with her son.
Witkoff reportedly criticized the Israeli government, stating that the US “wants to return the [remaining] hostages, but Israel is not ready to end the war.” According to the special envoy, “Israel is prolonging the war, even though we do not see where further progress can be made.” Witkoff further urged a new ceasefire deal to occur during the current “window of opportunity.” Witkoff met Alexander on Monday, commenting that “his return gives hope to so many.”
In response to the requests from the US, the Israeli prime minister’s office sent a delegation to Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday in order to negotiate a new ceasefire deal and secure the release of the remaining hostages.
While the current developments represent a positive signal toward a diplomatic solution in the region, the UN Commission for Human Rights strongly criticized the Israeli plans for military expansion into Gaza, arguing that the actions would “threaten the rights and existence of Palestinians in the strip.” Since the end of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which was announced on January 19 and ended on March 18, UN experts have warned of “escalating atrocities” suffered by the Palestinian population. A UN special committee for Palestine urged that even though the Gaza Strip is still subject to a humanitarian blockade, the Israeli government should allow for the UN Relief and Works Agency to deliver humanitarian aid to the region. The UN body will present a comprehensive report on the events in Gaza during the General Assembly in October 2025.
The post Hamas releases final US hostage in Gaza amid renewed ceasefire talks appeared first on JURIST - News.
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Alexander was taken hostage in the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel during his voluntary service to the Israel Defense Forces at the age of 19, and he had been in Gaza for over 550 days before his release on Sunday. Alexander was part of 251 hostages that had been taken that day, 24 of whom are still believed to be held in Gaza. In late 2024, Hamas delivered a proof-of-life video of Alexander, showing him in an emotional state.
Members of the US Congress recently sent a joint letter to the White House urging President Donald Trump’s administration to prioritize Alexander’s release by accelerating the efforts and utilizing “all diplomatic tools at [their] disposal.” Subsequently, the release was reportedly facilitated through negotiations involving US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and efforts by the mediating countries Qatar and Egypt. Yael Alexander, Edan’s mother, personally arrived in Israel to be reunited with her son.
Witkoff reportedly criticized the Israeli government, stating that the US “wants to return the [remaining] hostages, but Israel is not ready to end the war.” According to the special envoy, “Israel is prolonging the war, even though we do not see where further progress can be made.” Witkoff further urged a new ceasefire deal to occur during the current “window of opportunity.” Witkoff met Alexander on Monday, commenting that “his return gives hope to so many.”
In response to the requests from the US, the Israeli prime minister’s office sent a delegation to Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday in order to negotiate a new ceasefire deal and secure the release of the remaining hostages.
While the current developments represent a positive signal toward a diplomatic solution in the region, the UN Commission for Human Rights strongly criticized the Israeli plans for military expansion into Gaza, arguing that the actions would “threaten the rights and existence of Palestinians in the strip.” Since the end of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which was announced on January 19 and ended on March 18, UN experts have warned of “escalating atrocities” suffered by the Palestinian population. A UN special committee for Palestine urged that even though the Gaza Strip is still subject to a humanitarian blockade, the Israeli government should allow for the UN Relief and Works Agency to deliver humanitarian aid to the region. The UN body will present a comprehensive report on the events in Gaza during the General Assembly in October 2025.
The post Hamas releases final US hostage in Gaza amid renewed ceasefire talks appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.