The release, after four-way talks between Hamas, the United States, Egypt and Qatar, could open the way to freeing the remaining 58 hostages held in the Gaza Strip, 19 months after Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023.
Qatar and Egypt said Alexander’s release was an encouraging step towards new truce talks. Israel will send a delegation to Qatar on Thursday to discuss a new proposal aimed at securing further hostage releases, Netanyahu’s office said.
Netanyahu has insisted that Israel’s planning for an expanded military campaign in Gaza will continue, as one of his far-right coalition partners, national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, said the war on Islamist militant Hamas must not end and aid should not be let into the Palestinian enclave.
“Israel has not committed to a ceasefire of any kind,” Netanyahu’s office said, adding that military pressure had forced Hamas into the release.
Gaza health authorities said an Israeli strike killed at least 15 people sheltering at a school on Monday before fighting paused. Israel’s military said it had targeted Hamas fighters there who were preparing an attack.
The global hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported on Monday that half a million people in the Gaza Strip face starvation and there is a critical risk of famine by September.
