The Japan Times - Hamas says will release US-Israeli hostage Monday

The Palestinian militant group on Sunday said it would release US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump to the region, and as the group revealed it was engaged in direct talks with Washington towards a ceasefire.

On Monday Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said it had "decided to release the Zionist soldier holding American citizenship, Edan Alexander, today", spokesman Abu Obeida said on Telegram.

A Hamas source meanwhile told AFP that mediators informed the group that Israel would pause military operations for the handover of the 21-year-old soldier.

"Hamas was informed that at exactly 9:30 am, Israel began halting its reconnaissance, drone, and warplane flights, as well as combat operations, to create a safe corridor for the transfer and handover of Edan," the source said.

Netanyahu had earlier said that "Israel has not committed to a ceasefire of any kind or the release of terrorists but only to a safe corridor that will allow for the release of Edan".

Negotiations for a possible deal to secure the release of all hostages would continue "under fire, during preparations for an intensification of the fighting", Netanyahu added.

- Post-war administration -

Hamas had said Alexander would be released "as part of efforts towards a ceasefire" and the reopening of aid crossings.

A source close to the militant group told AFP on Monday that Hamas had decided not to hold a public ceremony for the handover.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the largest grouping of hostages' relatives in Israel, called for a gathering at the plaza dubbed Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, ahead of Alexander's anticipated release.

"We must not leave anyone behind! Edan's return must be the beginning of a comprehensive agreement that brings home all the hostages," the group said in a statement.

Trump, who is due in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, hailed the "monumental news" of Alexander's release in a post on social media, describing it as a "good faith gesture".

"Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict," he added.

Egypt and Qatar, who along with the US have mediated talks between Hamas and Israel, also welcomed the development, describing it in a joint statement as a "a gesture of goodwill and an encouraging step toward a return to the negotiating table".

Earlier, two Hamas officials told AFP that talks were ongoing in Doha with the United States and reported "progress".

In Gaza, the civil defence agency reported that at least 10 people were killed in an overnight Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced people.

Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel ended a two-month ceasefire on March 18, ramping up its bombardment of the territory. It has also cut off all aid to Gaza.

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Washington had for decades publicly refused to engage directly with Hamas, which it labels a terrorist organisation, before first doing so in March.

Hamas has continued to insist on a deal that ends the war.

In its statement on Sunday, the group said it was willing to "immediately begin intensive negotiations" that could lead to an agreement to end the war and would see Gaza under a technocratic and independent administration.

Earlier this month, the Israeli government approved plans to expand its offensive in Gaza, with officials talking of retaining a long-term presence there.

While ceasefire negotiations have yet to produce a breakthrough, Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, on Sunday "fully" endorsed a US plan to restore aid to Gaza, under a complete blockade since March 2.

The plan has drawn hefty international criticism for sidelining the United Nations and existing aid organisations, with the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, saying it was "impossible" to replace it in Gaza.

Hamas's 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday that at least 2,749 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,862.

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T.Sato--JT