Hamas releases Israeli-American hostage in goodwill gesture toward Trump administration

FILE - Varda Ben Baruch holds a picture of her grandson Edan Alexander who is held hostage in Gaza gathers with other families to call out on loudspeakers in hopes that their loved ones will hear them near the Gaza dividing line in Kibbutz Nir Oz southern Israel April AP Photo Ohad Zwigenberg File AP Ohad Zwigenberg FILE - Varda Ben Baruch holds a picture of her grandson Edan Alexander who is held hostage in Gaza gathers with other families to call out on loudspeakers in hopes that their loved ones will hear them near the Gaza confines in Kibbutz Nir Oz southern Israel April AP Photo Ohad Zwigenberg File AP Ohad Zwigenberg DEIR AL-BALAH Gaza Strip AP Hamas on Monday circulated an Israeli-American soldier who had been held hostage in Gaza for more than months offering a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration that could lay the groundwork for a new ceasefire with Israel Edan Alexander was the first hostage disclosed since Israel shattered an eight-week ceasefire with Hamas in March and unleashed fierce strikes on Gaza that have killed hundreds of Palestinians He was handed over to the Red Cross and then to Israeli forces before being flown by helicopter to a hospital in Tel Aviv Israeli administration disclosed video and photos showing a pale but showing pleasure Alexander in an emotional reunion with his mother and other family members Israel has promised to intensify its offensive including by seizing Gaza and displacing much of the territory s population again Days before the ceasefire ended Israel blocked all imports from entering the Palestinian enclave deepening a humanitarian problem and sparking warnings about the hazard of famine if the blockade isn t lifted Israel says the strategies are meant to pressure Hamas to accept a ceasefire agreement on Israel s terms Wearing shirts emblazoned with his name Alexander s extended family gathered in Tel Aviv to watch the release They chanted his name when the military announced he was free while in the city s Hostage Square hundreds of people broke out into cheers Alexander s grandmother Varda Ben Baruch beamed She announced her grandson looked mostly all right in the first photo of him after nearly days in captivity He seemed like a man He has really matured she declared Reports that Alexander cracked a joke on the phone while speaking to his mother for the first time did not surprise her He s got such a sense of humor she commented Alexander was when he was taken from his military base in southern Israel during Hamas cross-border attack on Oct which set off the war in Gaza In his hometown of Tenafly New Jersey hundreds of supporters packed the streets holding signs with his image and listening to speakers blasting Israeli music As they watched the news of his release on a large screen the crowd hugged and waved Israeli flags Since he was taken hostage supporters there gathered every Friday to march for the hostages release Israel says hostages remain in captivity with about of them noted to be alive Plenty of of the hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the attack were freed in ceasefire deals Trump calls expected release hopefully a step toward ending war Hamas released its intention to release Alexander shortly before U S President Donald Trump was set to arrive Tuesday in the Middle East on the first official foreign trip of his second term Trump on Sunday called the planned release a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators Qatar and Egypt to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones Hopefully this is the first of those final procedures necessary to end this brutal conflict I look very much forward to that day of celebration Trump noted on social media Trump who is traveling to Saudi Arabia Qatar and the United Arab Emirates is not scheduled to stop in Israel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Monday with the U S special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and the U S ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and discussed efforts to release the remaining hostages his office noted Netanyahu directed that a negotiations unit leave for Doha on the morrow the prime minister s office revealed adding that Netanyahu made it clear that the negotiations would only take place under fire Netanyahu explained Alexander s release was achieved thanks to our military pressure and the diplomatic pressure applied by President Trump This is a winning combination The Hostages and Missing Families Forum which represents relatives of hostages welcomed the news that an Israeli delegation was headed to the Qatari capital for talks Prime Minister Netanyahu the ball is in your court the group stated in a comment after Alexander was issued It urged the prime minister to announce that he was ready to negotiate a deal for the return of all remaining hostages and end the war Don t miss this historic opportunity facing the State of Israel Prove to the Israeli masses and President Trump that you are willing to take a regional initiative that transcends narrow political considerations the group revealed Israel says it still plans to escalate its offensiv e On Monday a message from Netanyahu s office disclosed Israel did not make any concessions for Alexander s release and had only agreed to create a safe corridor to allow Alexander to be returned It disclosed Israel would carry on with plans to ramp up its offensive in Gaza Israel says it won t launch that plan until after Trump s visit to the Middle East to allow for a foreseen new ceasefire deal to emerge Early Tuesday an Israeli strike hit the surgery department at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip Agents at the hospital announced three people were killed and injured The Israeli military stated it had precisely struck Hamas militants operating from within a command and control center at the hospital Netanyahu faces criticism for not freeing all hostages Alexander s release created a backlash against Netanyahu whom critics accuse of having to rely on a foreign leader to help free the remaining hostages At the opening of his trial on corruption assertions where he is giving testimony a woman in the courtroom required whether he was ashamed that the president of the United States is saving his citizens and he is leaving them to die there in captivity Critics assert that Netanyahu s insistence on keeping up the war in Gaza is politically motivated Netanyahu says he aims to achieve Israel s goals of freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas Hamas-led militants killed people in the attack Israel s retaliatory offensive has killed over Palestinians various of them women and children according to Gaza s Wellbeing Ministry which does not say how countless of the dead were combatants or civilians Israel s offensive has obliterated vast swaths of Gaza s urban landscape and displaced of the population often multiple times Magdy released from Cairo and Goldenberg from Tel Aviv Israel Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv contributed to this record Follow AP s war coverage at https apnews com hub israel-hamas-war Source