Edan Alexander was snatched from his military base in southern Israel during Hamas' cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. His expected release would be the first since Israel shattered an 8-week ceasefire with Hamas in March when it unleashed fierce strikes on Gaza, which have killed hundreds.
On Monday, a statement from Netanyahu's office said Alexander's release was expected and that Israel was not granting any concessions for it. 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 that, including Alexander, 59 hostages remain in captivity, about 24 of whom are said to be alive and the rest are deceased. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the 2023 attack were freed in ceasefire deals.
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