Hamas to Release Israeli-US Hostage
BBC News
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Hamas to Release Israeli-US Hostage
BBC News
The Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander is expected to be released in Gaza by Hamas today
Alexander, 21, was serving in an elite infantry unit on the border with Gaza when he was captured during the 7 October attacks
Of the 251 hostages, 59 remain in Gaza, up to 24 of whom are believed to be alive
Israel says there will be "a safe corridor" in Gaza for Alexander's release, but has not committed to a ceasefire
President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East begins on Tuesday – he calls Alexander's scheduled release "great news"
A senior Palestinian official tells the BBC the Hamas announcement is intended as a goodwill gesture before Trump's arrival
Hamas also says the release is intended to facilitate an aid deal – Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade for more than two months
Edited by Owen Amos, with Yolande Knell in Jerusalem and Hugo Bachega in Tel Aviv
Gazans gather at a fish market on Monday morning to buy seafood
A new report says the entire population of Gaza – some 2.1 million people – is at critical risk of famine after 19 months of conflict, mass displacement, and the blockade of humanitarian aid.
According to a report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global hunger scale used by the UN and many aid agencies, half a million people in the territory are facing starvation.
Israel has prevented any aid entering Gaza since early March, saying it's putting pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages.
"Goods indispensable for people’s survival are either depleted or expected to run out in the coming weeks," the IPC says, adding that the "risk of famine in the Gaza Strip is not just possible – it is increasingly likely".
The report, which was prepared based on work between 1 April and 10 May, says this represents a significant deterioration in the situation since its last analysis in October.
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, in Tel Aviv
The expected release of Evan Alexander happens a day before President Trump is due to arrive in the region. Families of the hostages who remain in Gaza, some of them gathered here in Tel Aviv, hope this moment will lead to a deal that results in all captives being freed, without further delays.
Hamas has described this decision as a goodwill gesture, and says it is ready to negotiate an agreement that includes the end of the war, a condition that has been repeatedly rejected by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
For a long time, critics of the prime minister have accused him of not being interested in a deal and of prolonging the war for political purposes – in particular, to please hardline members of the coalition that sustains his government.
In recent days, multiple reports have suggested that the Trump administration is increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu. This could result in pressure on Netanyahu to accept a deal, and he might be left with no other alternative.
After 19 months, public support in Israel for the war is falling, and the security cabinet’s decision last week to expand the military offensive if there is no deal by the end of Trump’s visit has been controversial, here and elsewhere.
How this will fundamentally change the situation on the ground remains unclear. With some of Netanyahu’s allies, including far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich, speaking about seizing territory and occupying Gaza, many are questioning what his true intentions are.
US President Donald Trump has just posted on his Truth Social platform about the release.
"EDAN ALEXANDER, AMERICAN HOSTAGE THOUGHT DEAD, TO BE RELEASED BY HAMAS. GREAT NEWS!"
Palestinians receive hot meals distributed by charities in Khan Younis, Gaza on 2 May
As we await the handover of Edan Alexander, Gazans have called for an end to the Israeli blockade of the Strip.
"We demand the entry of aid, because we are starving, and we do not have food, flour or anything," Ayman Nassar, a Gaza resident, tells Reuters news agency.
Maher Al Jourani adds that Gazans don't want a "temporary ceasefire" but a permanent one.
"We are tired and hopeless…wishing for death… [it would be] better than living, due to scarcity," he tells Reuters.
Israel broke a two-month ceasefire on 18 March when it launched strikes on Gaza. Israel has also blocked the entry of food, medication, and other humanitarian supplies into Gaza for more than two months.
Aid agencies say it amounts to a policy of starvation and could be a war crime.
The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 50,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its offensive in 2023, in response to Hamas's attacks on 7 October. The total includes more 2,500 killed since the Israeli offensive resumed in March.Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Tel Aviv
People are starting to gather in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, which since the beginning of the war has been the main gathering point for the families of those who were kidnapped on 7 October 2023 during the Hamas attacks.
Most of them are critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and have been urging him to strike a deal with Hamas for all hostages to be freed and for the end of the war.
Here, people are carrying placards with the faces of those who remain in captivity – 59 hostages are still in Gaza, but only 24 are believed to remain alive.
One woman, dressed in yellow, the colour that symbolises this crisis, is carrying a poster saying: "Trump, stop the war. In Trump we trust."
A huge screen keeps track of how long the hostages have been in captivity: 583 days.
We've just had more information from the Israeli side on how today's release of Edan Alexander should unfold:
We are not expecting a public handover, as happened with some hostage handovers in Gaza. Israel says it will only release footage with the Alexander family's consent.
Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem
Local media report that Israel had no idea of the latest direct contact between the US and Hamas officials until after a deal was struck on the expected release of Edan Alexander.
There have been growing signs of strain in relations between President Trump and Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent weeks.
While Trump wants to remove the threat of Iran developing a nuclear weapon through negotiations, Netanyahu favours military action.
On Gaza, Washington continues to push for a new ceasefire and hostage release deal, even as Israel’s security cabinet has approved an intensified offensive.
On Sunday, NBC news quoted US sources saying that the president privately viewed Israel’s strategy in the strip as "a wasted effort" – "at odds" with his own plan for rebuilding there.
As our correspondent Yolande Knell just reported, Israel has committed to providing a "safe corridor" in Gaza for Edan Alexander to be released.
We are now getting reports that Israel has paused "combat operations" in Gaza, as the handover happens.
A Hamas source tells the AFP news agency: "Hamas was informed that at exactly 9:30 [07:30 BST], 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."Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem
The announcement of the first hostage release since Israel shattered a ceasefire in March comes just ahead of President Trump’s visit to the Middle East.
It follows reports of direct talks between US officials and Hamas and shows a willingness on the part of Israel’s closest ally to push ahead with ceasefire negotiations.
"Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict," Trump said on social media.
Hamas has previously refused to free more captives without Israel first committing to a path to end the 19-month-long war – a condition that the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected.
His office said Israel had not committed to a ceasefire but only "a safe corridor" for the expected release of Edan Alexander.
This development comes at a pivotal time: Israel is threatening a new major military offensive in Gaza and has stopped all aid from entering for more than two months causing a deep humanitarian crisis.
Varda Ben Baruch holds a photo of her grandson, Edan Alexander
Edan Alexander is a 21-year-old dual Israeli-American, believed to be the last living America hostage in Gaza.
Born in Tel Aviv but raised in New Jersey, Alexander was serving in the elite infantry on the border with Gaza when he was captured by Hamas during the attacks on 7 October, 2023.
His family said they had "received the greatest gift imaginable" at hearing he will be able to return home.
"We hope our son's release begins negotiations for all 58 remaining hostages, ending this nightmare for them and their families."
Good morning from London.
We're expecting Hamas soon to release US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander – who is believed to be the last living American hostage in Gaza.
The 21-year-old's release comes ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East on Tuesday. But Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the release would not lead to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, or the release of Palestinian prisoners.
We’ll bring you all the latest as today’s handover unfolds – including from our teams in the region.
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