Hamas agrees to free US-Israeli captive
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas says it will release a US-Israeli captive held in Gaza, after holding direct talks with the United States towards a ceasefire in the war-battered territory.
“Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, a dual US national, will be released as part of efforts towards a ceasefire” in Gaza, Hamas said in a statement on Sunday.
The Hamas leader in Gaza said on Sunday that Edan Alexander will be released as a first step toward a ceasefire, the opening of Gaza’s crossings, and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Khalil al-Hayya added that the decision followed recent communications with the US administration over the past few days.
He said the movement has shown a high level of positivity during the talks.
He also declared Hamas’ readiness to immediately begin intensive negotiations to reach a final agreement to end the war and exchange prisoners.
He emphasized that the post-war Gaza should be managed by an independent body that would ensure calm and stability, along with the reconstruction of the territory.
Meanwhile, a new study suggests that up to 109,000 people have been killed since the start of Israel’s genocidal campaign across the besieged Gaza Strip in October 2023.
The study published in The Lancet reviewed hospital records, online civilian death submissions, and an independently compiled list based on social media obituaries and death announcements.
By comparing the three lists, researchers concluded that the number of people killed in Gaza was significantly higher than the figure reported by authorities in the besieged Palestinian region.
The study estimates that the real death toll could be 46–107% higher than reported, meaning that between 77,000 and 109,000 people have died in Israeli attacks. Based on current numbers, that is the equivalent of between 4% and 5% of Gaza’s pre-war population.
Israel describes all those killed in Gaza as “fighters,” even as most of them are women and children.
The latest figures by the Gaza Health Ministry stated that Israel has killed 52,787 Palestinians in Gaza, stressing that it could not reach or register many victims, who are either under the rubble or in areas that Israel’s military continues to target.
Israel’s relentless air and artillery strikes keep killing more civilians in Gaza, as the regime presses ahead with its genocidal war in the besieged territory.
Nineteen months into Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, the regime keeps hammering the devastated strip, leaving a trail of death and destruction behind.
Figures show that 90 percent of Gaza’s current population of 2.1 million people has been displaced, lacking access to sufficient shelter, food, life-saving medical services, clean water, education, and livelihoods.
