Pakistan, May 13 -- Hamas has rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's assertion that military pressure played a role in securing the release of US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander from Gaza. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Palestinian group clarified that Alexander's return was the result of serious diplomatic efforts with the US administration and the involvement of mediators, rather than Israeli aggression or military actions.

According to Hamas, Netanyahu's claims were misleading and that military pressure had no bearing on the release. They accused the Israeli Prime Minister of failing to bring back prisoners through force, stating, "Netanyahu is misleading his people."

Netanyahu had earlier credited the release t...