Hamas to release last living American hostage
By Kielce Gussie
The last known living American hostage held in Gaza is set to be released, according to a statement by Hamas. The head of Hamas’ negotiation team announced the armed group has been in contact with the United States administration over “the last few days,” having talks that “showed high positivity.”
583 days as a hostage
21-year-old American Edan Alexander is one of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza. He is scheduled to be freed after 583 days as a hostage in Gaza on the evening of May 12. Hamas announced that his release is one of the steps towards a ceasefire deal - other steps would include opening the crossings into Gaza and enabling humanitarian aid to enter the enclave, following an Israeli blockade which has lasted 70 days.
Palestinian politician Khalil Al-Hayya described this step as a confirmation of “readiness to immediately start intensive negotiations and make serious efforts to reach a final agreement to stop the war.”
The Israeli Prime Minister’s office has stated it has not committed to any ceasefire but only a safe passage to release the last known living American hostage.
A senior Hamas official reported that the Palestinian armed group was holding direct negotiations with a U.S. administration official in Qatar and that Alexander's release is meant to be a goodwill gesture ahead of the US President’s visit to the Middle East on Tuesday, May 13.
Ongoing humanitarian crisis
Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza remains devastating as there is an imminent risk of famine, a growing potential for an outbreak of deadly epidemics, and agriculture is on the brink of total collapse.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations continues to stress the importance of lifting these blockades to allow for humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip.
Since the beginning of the year, the UN has reported that in Gaza there have been about 10,000 cases of acute malnutrition among children as food prices have skyrocketed by as much as 1,400%.
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