Hamas To Release American Israeli Soldiers Today

Hamas To Release American Israeli Soldiers Today

By Yadnom Awu/ Asaba

The military wing of the Palestinian group, Hamas, today announced a surprise decision to release an American Israeli soldier, Edan Alexander.
He is believed to be the last living American hostage held by Hamas.
The release will be done in utmost secrecy , away from the media in an apparent effort to stave off Israeli claim that the huge publicity that had marked earlier releases had embarrassed it and emboldened Hamas, which it tags a terrorist organization.
The release , details of which are closely guarded secrets, is projected as a humanitarian gesture by Hamas to encourage Israel to unlock its crippling blockade of all forms of aid into Gaza which it has been pounding with military gunfire for going to two years.
News of the imminent release of Alexander has been welcomed by the American government,with President Donald Trump saying it was a big good news to have him return home.
The release followed strong on the heels of a series of direct secret talks between American diplomats and Hamas officials, with Qatari and Egyptian officials acting as emissaries.
It comes as Donald Trump aims to begin his first official visit to major Arab nations in the Middle East, and as Israel and America, strongly criticized for the dire humanitarian situation in Palestine, plan to begin their novel move to allow in aid into Gaza.
However the move to allow in aid into Gaza is a side step of the existing United Nations (UN) structure in the enclave.
The UN had been merging the humanitarian and other forms of support for Palestinians in Gaza via its United Nations Relief and Works Agency( UNRWA), which also runs health and medical services in the besieged enclave , aside from providing food and water to millions of dependants on its services.

But UNRWA’ s open frequent condemnation of Israeli military action in the enclave and the Occupied West Bank of Palestine has drawn the ire of hawks in the Israeli government and its Parliament, the Knesset, which had dubbed it a collaborator with Hamas, though it had yet to provide proof in support of its charges , just as many others against Medicines San Frontiers( Doctors Without Borders), United Nations Human Rights Council , the International Court of Justice ( ICJ) , the International Criminal Court,( both in The Hague, Netherlands),nthe European Union and even the United Nations itself.

Israel launched a high heel retaliatory military operation some 18 months ago to oust Hamas, which runs Gaza, rescue the hostages seized by Hamas in the October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel, and create a new political reality in the Middle East.
The operation has led to the death of more than 50,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children according to Hamas, and the injury to more than 100, 000 others, many critically.

Israeli military casualties in the conflict have remained a closely guarded secret.

Media images of the catastrophe that the operation has created in Gaza has drawn global public angst against Israel, and its main Western backers, including America, Britain, France, Canada and Germany.
Both the ICC and ICJ are hearing cases brought against Israel before them by several nations, including Brazil and South Africa.
More than 1,200 Israeli soldiers and policemen were killed by Hamas fighters and their collaborators during the October 7 ,2023 invasion investigation into which has reported an appalling level of incompetence in Israel’s response to the attack.