The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed in a statement that it had facilitated the “safe transfer” of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander from Gaza “to the Israeli authorities.”
“We are relieved that another family has been reunited today. But the nightmare continues for those still held hostage, their loved ones, and hundreds of others across the Gaza Strip,” said ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric in the statement.
The Israeli army announced that Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander was handed over in Gaza following his release by Hamas
“The freed hostage is currently accompanied by army special forces on his way back to Israeli territory, where he will undergo an initial medical examination and be reunited with his family,” the army said in a statement.
Al-Jazeera allowed to resume activities in the Palestinian territories, bureau chief announces.
Trump says he is considering easing sanctions against Syria
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he may ease sanctions against Syria in order to give the country “a fresh start.”
“We're going to have to make a decision on sanctions, which we may very well ease,” Trump said at the White House, adding that he had discussed the matter with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Hamas says it freed Israeli American hostage
Hamas said Monday that its armed wing had released an Israeli American hostage, with a source close to the movement adding that Edan Alexander was handed over to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis.
"The (Ezzedine) Al-Qassam Brigades have just released the Zionist soldier and American citizen Edan Alexander, following contacts with the U.S. administration, as part of the efforts undertaken by mediators to achieve a cease-fire," Hamas said in a statement.
Israeli delegation to visit Qatar on Tuesday, Netanyahu's office says
An Israeli delegation will leave for Doha tomorrow to negotiate a new cease-fire agreement and a possible prisoner exchange, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Monday afternoon, according to Haaretz.
According to the office, the negotiations will be part of an Israeli attempt to implement the framework proposed by U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, before extending the Israeli army's ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu thanks Trump for his help in freeing hostage
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his help in the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, expected to be released today in Gaza.
During a meeting with the White House, “the Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his help in freeing Israeli army soldier Edan Alexander,” said a statement from Netanyahu's staff, who had just met in Jerusalem with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
Gaza: Edan Alexander’s release scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in Khan Younis
Israeli-US hostage Edan Alexander is expected to be handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross around 6:30 p.m. local time near Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, under “secretive circumstances,” according to several Israeli media outlets.
Israeli army has reportedly deployed several units, including tanks and armored vehicles, east of Khan Younis, Maariv reports.
Unlike previous hostage releases by Hamas, there will be no official ceremony, Al Jazeera notes.
Meeting between Netanyahu and Witkoff ends, no Israeli delegation headed to Cairo
The meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has concluded, according to Haaretz. Witkoff traveled to Tel Aviv accompanied by the mother of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who is expected to be released today. Netanyahu's office declined to provide details about the content of their discussions.
An Israeli official familiar with the matter stated that no Israeli delegation is currently en route to Cairo for new cease-fire talks. The official also expressed doubt about any shift in Netanyahu’s stance on ending the war in Gaza and questioned whether Hamas is genuinely willing to lay down its arms.
Gaza is facing a "critical risk of famine," with 22% of the population in a "catastrophic" situation, according to the latest report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The report highlights the severe food insecurity that has affected a large portion of the population, exacerbated by ongoing conflict and blockades.
Israeli army says preparing for return of Israeli-US hostage Alexander
The Israeli army announced it is preparing for the return of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who has been held in Gaza since the deadly Hamas attacks on Oct.7, 2023.
“The Israeli army is preparing for the return of hostage Edan Alexander, who will be transferred by a special unit to the initial reception center in Re'im,” in southern Israel near the Palestinian territory, said an Israeli official just hours after Hamas's armed wing announced the 21-year-old would be released today.
Gaza: U.S. envoy Witkoff arrives in Israel
Israeli public radio Kan reported that Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has landed at Tel Aviv airport. He is expected to meet with Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander following his scheduled release today by Hamas in northern Gaza.
The American envoy is also set to hold talks at 1:00 p.m. local time with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials, according to the radio station.
Gaza: death toll from Israeli strikes continues to rise
At least 29 Palestinians were killed and 94 wounded in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, the Gaza Health Ministry said in a statement. The ministry updated the death toll from the Israeli strike on a UNRWA school sheltering displaced persons in Jabalia to 17, including "five children and four women." Medical sources also reported that two more people were killed in an air raid targeting the Shujaiya refugee camp in Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera.
The ministry added that four bodies were recovered from earlier Israeli attacks.
Since the Israeli offensive resumed on March 18 — breaking a ceasefire agreement reached with Hamas in January — at least 2,749 Palestinians have been killed and 7,607 injured. This brings the total Palestinian death toll in the Gaza war to at least 52,862, with 119,648 wounded and more than 11,000 still missing under the rubble, according to the ministry.
Kassem to deliver speech tonight
Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, will deliver a speech this evening at 8:30 p.m. on the “latest developments” in Lebanon and the region, according to Hezbollah-affiliated channel Al-Manar.
The address coincides with the ninth anniversary of the death of Mustafa Badreddine, also known as Zulfiqar, a top Hezbollah military commander who was killed in Syria on May 13, 2016. Badreddine had been accused by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon of being the mastermind behind the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Expected release of Israeli-US hostage Edan Alexander: Mediators notify Hamas of Israeli pause in fighting
Mediators have informed Hamas that Israel has agreed to a pause in fighting, ahead of the expected release today of hostage Edan Alexander, held in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.
Gaza: Israeli strike on UNRWA school kills mainly women and children, says Health Ministry
The death toll from the overnight Israeli airstrike on a UNRWA school sheltering displaced people in Jabalia, northern Gaza, has risen, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry stated that the victims were “mainly women and children,” confirming at least 16 fatalities, including “five children and four women,” along with several others injured.
Israeli-US hostage Edan Alexander to be freed today, says Hamas
The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced they will release Israeli-US hostage Edan Alexander today, Monday, May 12, 2025. Alexander has been held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
"The al-Qassam Brigades have decided to release the Zionist soldier of American nationality, Edan Alexander, who is currently detained. The release will take place today, Monday, May 12, 2025," said spokesperson Abu Obeida in a message on Telegram.
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Israeli-US hostage expected to be freed 'today or tomorrow'
Following discussions with U.S. representatives over a potential Gaza truce, Hamas announced Sunday it would release 21-year-old Israeli-U.S. soldier Edan Alexander, held in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
A source close to Hamas told AFP the release will “most likely” occur “today or tomorrow.”
Netanyahu: 'Israel has not committed to any cease-fire'
“Israel has not committed to any ceasefire or the release of terrorists [Palestinian prisoners], only to a safe corridor for Edan’s release,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
He claimed the anticipated release of the sole U.S.-Israeli hostage was made possible through “military pressure” in Gaza.
“We are in decisive days, during which a proposal has been submitted to Hamas enabling the release of our hostages. Negotiations will continue under fire, alongside preparations for an escalation of fighting,” Netanyahu added.
Egypt and Qatar welcome Hamas’s pledge to release hostage
Egypt and Qatar, mediators in the negotiations between Hamas and Israel, welcomed Hamas’s Sunday announcement of its intention to release Israeli-U.S. hostage Edan Alexander.
In a joint statement, both countries described the move as a “gesture of goodwill and an encouraging step toward returning to negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of prisoners and detainees, and ensuring the safe and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid.”
A Hamas official told AFP that talks with the United States had resulted in “progress” toward a truce in Gaza.
At least 15 Palestinians killed in overnight Israeli strikes on Gaza
At least 15 Palestinians were killed early Monday by overnight Israeli airstrikes across Gaza. One of the strikes targeted an UNRWA school sheltering displaced families in Jabalia, northern Gaza.
“At least 10 people, including women and children, were killed and dozens injured in an Israeli airstrike on the Fatima Bint Assad school, which houses over 2,000 displaced people in Jabalia,” Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal told AFP.
The death toll was later updated to 15 by medical sources cited by Al Jazeera.
Another air raid on Hammad al-Hasnat mosque in Nuseirat refugee camp (central Gaza) killed a child named Rimas Samir Obaid, according to local Al Jazeera correspondents. Israeli artillery also targeted eastern Bureij camp, raising the total death toll to 17 since dawn Monday.
Israeli army calls for evacuation of three Yemeni ports
The Israeli army on Sunday urged evacuation of three major Yemeni ports days after striking several sites in Yemen, including Sanaa’s airport, in response to a missile launch by the Houthi rebels.
“Due to the use of maritime ports by the Houthi terrorist regime for terror-related activities, we urge all individuals present at these ports to evacuate and stay away for their safety until further notice,” wrote IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee on social media.
The affected ports are Ras Issa, Hodeidah, and Salif. No strikes on the port infrastructure have been reported so far.
Gaza: Israel willing to negotiate if Hamas releases 'half the hostages at once'
“If half the hostages are released now and we don’t have to go through phased releases each time, we’re ready to talk,” an Israeli official told Haaretz.
Hamas, for its part, stated it would hand over the hostage without any “release ceremony,” unlike those held during past prisoner exchanges under the two cease-fires since October 7.
“We understand that Edan Alexander is Hamas’s last bargaining chip to end the military operation ‘Chariots of Gideon,’” the name given to Israel’s expanded Gaza offensive adopted on May 5, which outlines a long-term conquest and occupation of the enclave. “It was the only way to pressure the Americans into forcing us to halt the operation,” the official added.
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