Region

GAZA CITY, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES — Hamas on Tuesday rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that military pressure had helped secure the release of US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander from Gaza a day earlier.

"The return of Edan Alexander is the result of serious communications with the US administration and the efforts of mediators, not a consequence of Israeli aggression or the illusion of military pressure," the Palestinian militant group said in a statement.

"Netanyahu is misleading his people and has failed to bring back his prisoners through aggression," Hamas added.

The armed wing of Hamas on Monday released 21-year-old Alexander, who had been held in Gaza since the group's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war.

Netanyahu had credited Alexander's release to a combination of "our military pressure and the political pressure exerted by (US) President (Donald) Trump."

The Israeli prime minister had thanked Trump "for his assistance in the release", and also said he had instructed a negotiating team to head to Qatar on Tuesday to discuss the release of the remaining captives.

Netanyahu on Tuesday spoke on the phone with Alexander and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who was meeting the former hostage in hospital during a visit to Israel.

"The entire nation of Israel is overjoyed," Netanyahu said on the call, according to a video released by his office.

"We are grateful for American support and deeply appreciate the [Israeli] soldiers who are prepared to act by any means necessary if the remaining hostages are not released," he added.

When asked by Netanyahu how he was feeling, Alexander replied: "It's crazy, unbelievable. I'm okay. Weak, but slowly I'll get back to how I was before. It's just a matter of time."

The release of Alexander , the last living hostage in Gaza with US citizenship, came a day after Hamas revealed it was engaged in direct talks with Washington towards a ceasefire in Gaza.

Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday on the first leg of a Gulf tour that will also take him to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

"The return of Edan Alexander confirms that serious negotiations and a prisoner exchange deal are the way to bring back the prisoners and end the war," the Hamas statement said on Tuesday.

Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's 2023 attack, 57 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel ended a two-month ceasefire on March 18, ramping up its bombardment of the territory.

ANKARA — Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM party said Tuesday that it wanted to see "confidence-building measures" from the government a day after the Kurdish militant PKK announced the end of four decades of armed struggle.

Tuncer Bakirhan, co-chair of DEM, which played a key role in facilitating contacts with the PKK, urged the government to take concrete steps before the start of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha which starts on June 6 in Turkey.

"Making some humane, concrete and confidence-building steps without postponing them until after the holiday is the right way for Turkey to move forward," he told reporters.

"We expect the government to fulfil its duties and responsibilities in this regard."

His remarks came a day after the PKK said it was disbanding following seven months of shuttle diplomacy in which DEM passed messages between jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan and Turkey's political establishment.

So far, it is not clear how the PKK's declaration will benefit the Kurds who make up about 20 percent of Turkey's 85 million population, nor what DEM will get in exchange for facilitating the process.

But observers are expecting the government to show a new openness to the Kurds.

Many are hoping the move will result in political prisoners being freed, Bakirhan said.

"The demands we hear most are about releasing sick prisoners before Eid al-Adha... that would turn it into a double holiday," he said.

"It would be reasonable to expect some steps, even symbolic ones, from the government," Adnan Celik, an expert at the Paris School for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences [EHESS], told AFP.

"Freeing [Selahattin] Demirtas would be a strong gesture likely to speed up implementation of this historic decision," he said, referring to the former leader of the first pro-Kurdish party to hold seats in Turkey's parliament.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Donald Trump enjoyed a lavish welcome in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday as he opened the first state visit of his second term, with the US president eyeing major business deals.

Saudi fighter jets escorted Air Force One as Trump landed in Riyadh, the first stop on a tour of Gulf states that will also take him to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump pounded his fist in the air as he looked out on a military honour guard with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, walking the tarmac to shake the president's hand.

Trump will later address an investment forum in Riyadh expected to be attended by US business leaders including his friend and adviser Elon Musk.

"We have the biggest business leaders in the world here today and they're going to walk away with a lot of cheques," Trump told the prince.

For "the United States, it's probably two million jobs that we're talking about," Trump said.

Eight years ago Trump also chose Saudi Arabia for his first overseas trip -- when he posed with a glowing orb and participated in a sword dance.

His decision to bypass traditional Western allies to travel first to the Gulf states underscores their increasingly crucial geopolitical role -- along with his own business relations in the region.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed and Trump signed on Tuesday a strategic economic partnership agreement in Riyadh during Trump’s regional visit, according to Arab News. 

Saudi Arabia has pushed hard to be first on Trump's diplomatic schedule, Prince Mohammed vowing to pour $600 billion into US trade and investments.

"I'll be asking the crown prince, who's a fantastic guy, to round it out to around one trillion. I think they'll do that because we've been very good to them," Trump said in response to the offer.

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories — Palestinian militant group Hamas said its armed wing handed over a US-Israeli hostage held in Gaza since October 2023 on Monday, ahead of a regional visit by US President Donald Trump.

"The [Ezzedine] Al-Qassam Brigades have just released the Zionist soldier and American citizen Edan Alexander, following contacts with the US administration, as part of the efforts undertaken by mediators to achieve a ceasefire," Hamas said in a statement Monday.

A source close to the militant group said Alexander had been handed over to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis.

It comes a day after Hamas revealed it was engaged in direct talks with Washington towards a ceasefire.

"We affirm that serious and responsible negotiations yield results in the release of prisoners, while the continuation of aggression prolongs their suffering and may kill them," Hamas said in a statement.

"We urge President Trump's administration to continue its efforts to end this brutal war," it added.

The liberation of Alexander -- the last living hostage in Gaza with American citizenship -- comes ahead of a visit to the region by Trump, who is due in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

On Monday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the president "for his assistance in the release" of Alexander, a statement from his office said.

Netanyahu also said he had instructed a negotiating team to head to Qatar on Tuesday to discuss the further release of hostages.

The Israeli prime minister had earlier said that "Israel has not committed to a ceasefire of any kind or the release of terrorists but only to a safe corridor that will allow for the release of Edan".

Negotiations for a possible deal to secure the release of all hostages would continue "under fire, during preparations for an intensification of the fighting", Netanyahu added.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the UN- and NGO-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)warned that Gaza was at "critical risk of famine", with 22 percent of the population facing an imminent humanitarian "catastrophe" after more than two months of a total aid blockade by Israel.

 'Opportunity to breathe' 

An Israeli official said earlier on Monday that the military was preparing for the return of Alexander, "who will be transferred by a special unit to the initial reception facility in Re'im" near the Gaza border in southern Israel.

A Hamas source meanwhile said that mediators informed the group that Israel would halt military operations for the handover of the 21-year-old soldier.

The pause offered a much-needed respite for residents of the war-battered territory.

Somaya Abu Al-Kas, 34, who had been displaced to the southern city of Khan Yunis, said that "a little while ago, calm settled over Gaza, there was no shelling, and no nearby aircraft, which is very rare".

"We are tired of the shelling, and any ceasefire, even if temporary, we consider it an opportunity to breathe and gather ourselves," said the 34-year-old

But Um Mohammed Zomlot, also displaced in Khan Yunis, said that "despite the calm, we are cautious".

"Everyone is afraid that the shelling might resume suddenly after the prisoner is released," said Zomlot, 50.

Gaza's civil defence agency had earlier reported at least 10 killed in an overnight Israeli strike on a school housing displaced people.

 'Good faith gesture' 

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the largest grouping of hostages' relatives in Israel, called for a gathering at the plaza dubbed Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, ahead of Alexander's release.

"We must not leave anyone behind!" the group said in a statement.

After Hamas announced it would release Alexander on Sunday, Trump hailed the "monumental news" in a post on social media, describing it as a "good faith gesture".

"Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict," he added.

Egypt and Qatar, who along with the United States have mediated talks between Hamas and Israel, also welcomed the development, describing it in a joint statement as "a gesture of goodwill and an encouraging step toward a return to the negotiating table".

Earlier, two Hamas officials told AFP that talks were ongoing in Doha with the United States and reported "progress".

Israel ended a two-month ceasefire on March 18, ramping up its bombardment of the territory.

Earlier this month, the Israeli government approved plans to expand its Gaza offensive, with officials talking of retaining a long-term presence there.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday that at least 2,749 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,862.

TEHRAN/MUSCAT — Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Tehran would not compromise its right to enrich uranium, after the latest round of nuclear talks with the United States.

"Enrichment... must continue and there is no room for compromise on it," Araghchi told Iranian state TV in Muscat, where the talks were held, adding that Iran may be open to limit the rate of enrichment "to help build trust".

Iran and the United States wrapped up nuclear talks in Oman on Sunday with no apparent breakthrough in a public standoff over enrichment, but with both sides confirming plans for future negotiations.

This was the fourth round of talks that began nearly a month ago, marking the highest-level contact between the two foes since Washington withdrew in 2018 from a landmark nuclear deal, during President Donald Trump's first term.

Both sides had reported progress in the previous three rounds, and on Sunday Iran said the meeting was "difficult but useful" while a senior US official said Washington was "encouraged".

In a post on X, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the talks could help "better understand each other's positions and to find reasonable and realistic ways to address the differences".

Baqaei earlier said negotiators would push for relief from US sanctions.

The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington was "encouraged by today's outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will happen in the near future", without specifying when.

Baqaei said that the "next round will be coordinated and announced by Oman".

According to the US official, the talks were "both direct and indirect, and lasted over three hours".

"Agreement was reached to move forward" and "continue working through technical elements", the official added.

Iran entered the talks saying that its right to maintain uranium enrichment was "non-negotiable", while Washington's chief negotiator Steve Witkoff has called it a "red line"

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who led Tehran's delegation, said in a video before departing for the Omani capital Muscat that "enrichment capability is one of the honours" of Iran, which has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons.

 'Pressure' 

The talks come amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in the region, with US President Trump heading to the Gulf for his first major foreign tour next week, and Araghchi just back from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The fourth round that took place on Sunday was initially scheduled for May 3 but has been delayed, with mediator Oman citing "logistical reasons".

Yousuf Al Bulushi, chairman of the Muscat Policy Council think tank, said that a breakthrough "will take quite some time, but I'm optimistic".

He warned however that both sides had lost precious time during past negotiations trying to clarify public statements "instead of focusing solely on talks".

Public "pressure is a tactic in negotiations... but this is really impacting the atmosphere" at the table, said Bulushi.

Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent purity -- far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal with Washington and other world powers, but below the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade material.

Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy, said in a Friday interview that Iran's "enrichment facilities have to be dismantled".

"That's our red line. No enrichment," he told US right-wing outlet Breitbart News, after initially suggesting flexibility on Tehran maintaining low-level enrichment of uranium for civilian purposes.

Araghchi has repeatedly defended Iran's right to enrich uranium.

'World's most dangerous weapon' 

Iran adhered to the 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers for a year after Washington's withdrawal, before beginning to roll back its compliance.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" approach against Tehran, while backing nuclear diplomacy but warning of potential military action if it fails.

The talks are taking place amid renewed scrutiny of key aspects of Tehran's nuclear programme, particularly its stockpile of enriched uranium and the pace of its enrichment activities.

European governments are weighing whether to trigger the "snapback" mechanism under the 2015 deal, which would reinstate UN sanctions in response to Iranian non-compliance -- an option that expires in October.

Araghchi, in an article published on Sunday by French weekly Le Point, warned against a "strategy of confrontation".

Israel, which opposes the negotiations its close ally the United States has conducted with regional foe Iran, said Tehran must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.

"Iran is the most dangerous state in the world... the most dangerous regime must not be allowed to obtain the world's most dangerous weapon," said Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.

Israel is the Middle East's only -- if undeclared -- nuclear-armed state.

AMMAN — A newly released documentary has named the Israeli soldier believed to have shot and killed veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, during an Israeli military raid in Jenin in 2022, renewing calls for accountability and justice.

The film Who Killed Shireen?, produced by the US-based media company Zeteo, identified 20-year-old Israeli soldier Alon Scagio as the individual who fired the fatal shot that killed the prominent Al Jazeera reporter on 11 May 2022. At the time, Abu Akleh was clearly marked as press, wearing a helmet and a blue vest emblazoned with the word “PRESS”.

The documentary, backed by months of investigative work led by journalist Dion Nissenbaum, claims that Scagio, who was later transferred to another unit, was killed in 2024 during another Israeli operation in Jenin. Despite initial denials and efforts to blame Palestinian gunmen, Israeli and US officials reportedly knew hours after the killing that an Israeli soldier had likely shot the 51-year-old journalist, the documentary said. 

The findings revealed that the Israeli military quickly determined the soldier had misidentified Abu Akleh as a militant, despite her visible press gear and distance of over 200 metres from the soldier. Yet, no criminal charges were filed, and Israel refused to share the soldier’s identity or statement with US investigators. An initial American assessment reportedly concluded the shooting may have been intentional, but the Biden administration later reversed its position, blaming “tragic circumstances”.

“This is not just about one soldier , it is about a system that allows such killings to happen without consequences,” said Lina Abu Akleh, Shireen’s niece. “Justice requires accountability from everyone involved, from the shooter to those who covered it up.”

The documentary also highlights the wider issue of journalist safety in conflict zones. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), more than 175 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza on 7 October 2023. The year 2024 saw the highest number of journalist deaths globally since CPJ began documenting them three decades ago, with Israel responsible for nearly two-thirds of those deaths.

Ali Samoudi, Shireen’s producer who was wounded during the same incident, is also featured in the film. He recently received a six-month administrative detention order following a raid on his home in late April 2025. His family said he was beaten and handcuffed to a hospital bed. Israeli authorities have accused him, without presenting evidence, of links to Islamic Jihad.

“The bullet that killed Shireen was meant to silence Palestinian media,” said Samoudi in the documentary. “We are being punished for documenting the occupation’s crimes.”