Israel says no ceasefire for release of US-hostage Edan Alexander
Jerusalem, May 13 (UN) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that there would be no ceasefire in exchange for the release of Edan Alexander, an Israeli-U.S. hostage who was freed by Hamas today.
The United States informed Israel on Sunday that Hamas would release Edan Alexander, a U.S. born soldier in the Israeli army, who was abducted on Oct. 7, 2023, in a Hamas-led raid on southern Israel that resulted in the kidnapping of 251 people and the killing of about 1,200 others.
"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," Netanyahu said in a statement.
"We are in the midst of critical days in which Hamas has been presented with a deal that would enable the release of our hostages," he said. "The negotiations will continue under fire, during preparations for an intensification of the fighting," he added.
The Israeli Army Radio reported that the Israeli fighting had been halted since the morning hours, including airstrikes and surveillance drones, to enable the release of Alexander.
A security official told Xinhua that Alexander was expected to be handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza, and from there he would be transferred to Israel's Re'im military base adjacent to the Gaza Strip to reunite with his family.
Alexander is the last surviving hostage with U.S. citizenship, out of the remaining 59 hostages in Gaza, of whom Israel believes at least 21 are still alive.
Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, arrived in Israel on Monday for talks with Netanyahu and other senior officials, a senior Israeli official said.
According to Gaza's health authorities, Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 52,862 people since October 2023.
UNI/XINHUA ANV GNK
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