Latest news with #VardaBenBaruch
New Indian Express
13-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Hamas releases Israeli-American hostage in goodwill gesture toward Trump administration
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 crisis and sparking warnings about the risk of famine if the blockade isn't lifted. Israel says the steps 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 said 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 said her grandson looked mostly all right in the first photo of him after nearly 600 days in captivity. 'He seemed like a man. He has really matured,' she said. 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 said. Alexander was 19 when he was taken from his military base in southern Israel during Hamas' cross-border attack on October 7, 2023. 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 58 hostages remain in captivity, with about 23 of them said to be alive. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the 2023 attack were freed in ceasefire deals.
Toronto Sun
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Hamas says it will release American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander
Published May 12, 2025 • 4 minute read Varda Ben Baruch holds a picture of her grandson Edan Alexander, who is held hostage in Gaza, as she gathers with other families near the Gaza border in Kibbutz Nir Oz, Israel, April 20, 2025. Photo by Ohad Zwigenberg, File / AP Photo DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An American-Israeli soldier taken captive and held for more than 19 months in the Gaza Strip is expected to be released on Monday, Hamas said, as part of a goodwill gesture for the Trump administration that could lay the groundwork for a new ceasefire between the warring sides. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Edan Alexander was snatched from his military base in southern Israel during Hamas' cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which set off the war in Gaza. His expected release would be the first since Israel shattered an eight-week ceasefire with Hamas in March, when it unleashed fierce strikes on Gaza that have killed hundreds. Israel has also promised to intensify its offensive, including by seizing the territory and displacing much of its population again. Before the ceasefire's demise, Israel blocked all imports from entering the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave, deepening a humanitarian crisis there and sparking warnings of a risk of famine if the blockade isn't lifted. Israel says the steps are meant to pressure Hamas to accept a ceasefire agreement on Israel's terms. Israel says that, including Alexander, 59 hostages remain in captivity, about 24 who are said to be alive and the remaining are deceased. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the 2023 attack were freed in ceasefire deals. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Trump says the expected release is 'hopefully' a step toward ending the war After announcing on Sunday its intention to release Alexander, Hamas said in a statement on Monday that the handover would occur later in the day. Israeli authorities did not respond to requests for comment on the timing of the release. U.S. President Donald Trump, who is set to arrive in the Middle East on Tuesday on his first official foreign trip, said Sunday that the planned release is '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 steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!' Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Trump, who is traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, is not scheduled to stop in Israel. An Israeli official said that Trump envoy Steve Witkoff was expected in Israel on Monday and would meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security Cabinet to discuss nuclear talks with Iran and efforts to free more hostages. The official spoke on condition to of anonymity in line with regulations. Alexander's family, which is based in the U.S., was on route to Israel, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing the captives' families. Israel says it still plans to escalate its offensive in Gaza On Monday, a statement from Netanyahu's office said Alexander's release was expected, without indicating timing, and that Israel was not granting any concessions for it. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The statement said Israel did not commit to a ceasefire or to free Palestinian prisoners as part of the release and that it had only agreed to create a 'safe corridor' to allow for Alexander to be returned. The statement said Israel would still carry on with its plans to ramp up its offensive in Gaza despite the expected hostage release. Israel says it won't launch that plan until after Trump's visit to the Middle East this week, to allow for a potential new ceasefire deal to emerge. A statement by the office on Sunday said the U.S. had told Israel that Alexander's release could lead to a new deal with Hamas to free more hostages. Netanyahu faces criticism for not freeing all the hostages Israel's exact involvement in getting the release off the ground wasn't immediately clear. But it created a backlash against Netanyahu, with critics accusing him of having to rely on a foreign leader to help free the remaining hostages. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. At the opening of his trial for alleged corruption, where he is giving testimony, a woman in the courtroom asked 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 accuse Netanyahu of not doing enough to free the hostages, saying his insistence on keeping up the war in Gaza is politically motivated. Netanyahu says he aims to achieve Israel's twin war goals, freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas. Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took 250 captive in the 2023 attack. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 52,800 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants or civilians. It obliterated vast swaths of Gaza's urban landscape and displaced 90% of the population, often multiple times. 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Express Tribune
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Hamas to release US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander amid ceasefire efforts
Varda Ben Baruch, grandmother of US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander, points at a portrait of the captive PHOTOI:Reuters] Listen to article Hamas has announced plans to release Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old American-Israeli hostage held in Gaza, as part of ongoing negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave. His release is expected within the next 48 hours, as confirmed by US President Donald Trump and US envoy Steve Witkoff, who is scheduled to travel to Israel to oversee the handover . The decision to release Alexander is part of broader negotiations involving the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, focusing on ending hostilities, reopening Gaza's border crossings, and allowing the entry of essential aid. Hamas has emphasised that the release is contingent upon the implementation of a comprehensive ceasefire agreement, which includes the cessation of Israeli military attacks, the lifting of the blockade, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. This development marks a significant shift in US-Hamas relations, with direct talks taking place for the first time since 1997. While Israeli officials have expressed concerns over the potential implications of these negotiations, Hamas maintains that the release is a goodwill gesture aimed at advancing peace and stability in the region. The international community has largely welcomed the move, viewing it as a potential step towards de-escalation and the alleviation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This development follows despite Israel's recent invasion on Gaza that involved striking a school-turned-shelter and killing at least 15 people, as its total blockade of the besieged Strip extends into its 71st day. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have also launched attacks on Yemen's Hodeidah following warnings for civilians to evacuate three Houthi-controlled ports – Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and Salif. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, the Israeli onslaught has killed at least 52,829 Palestinians and injured 119,554.
CTV News
11-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
U.S. envoy confirms that Hamas has agreed to release the last living U.S. hostage in Gaza
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 border in Kibbutz Nir Oz, southern Israel, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)
CTV News
11-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Hamas says Edan Alexander, last living American hostage in Gaza, will be released in truce efforts
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 border in Kibbutz Nir Oz, southern Israel, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)
