GAZA Strip – Hamas says it will release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who is believed to be the last living captive with US nationality in Gaza, as part of efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement.
The decision comes ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East on Tuesday. Hamas said it was also intended to facilitate a deal for the entry of humanitarian aid. Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade for 70 days.
Earlier a senior Hamas official told the BBC that the Palestinian armed group was holding direct negotiations with a US administration official in Qatar.
The Israeli Prime Minsiter’s office said it had not committed to any ceasefire but only to a “safe corridor” for Alexander’s release.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said preparations to intensify fighting were still continuing, and the release of Alexander had been made possible because of military pressure on Hamas.
A senior Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations with the US in Qatar told the BBC that Hamas’s announcement was intended as a goodwill gesture before Trump’s arrival.
He said another meeting between Hamas and the mediators was scheduled for early Monday morning to finalize the process of Alexander’s release, which would require a temporary halt to Israeli military activity and a suspension of aerial operations during the handover.
President Trump confirmed Alexander’s release in a post on Truth Social, calling it “monumental news” and “a step taken in good faith”.
Born in Tel Aviv but raised in New Jersey, 21-year-old Alexander was serving in an elite infantry unit on the border with Gaza when he was captured by Hamas militants during the October 7 attack.
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s 2023 attack, 59 remain in the enclave, up to 24 of whom are believed to be alive. Five of the hostages in Gaza are believed to be US citizens and Alexander was thought to be the only one still alive.
Alexander’s family said they had “received the greatest gift imaginable – news that our beautiful son Edan is returning home after 583 days in captivity in Gaza”. (BBC)
