Hamas agrees to release last known living American hostage
Hamas agreed to release Edan Alexander, a dual US and Israeli citizen believed to be the last living US citizen who remains captive in Gaza, weeks after saying it had lost contact with the group holding him hostage.
His release is part of 'the steps being taken to achieve a ceasefire, open the crossings, and allow aid,' Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas' negotiating team, said in a statement Sunday. Al-Hayya did not provide information on Alexander's condition.
Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, confirmed the agreement to NBC News and said he is travelling to Israel to secure Alexander's release.
'We are picking him up probably tomorrow,' Witkoff said. 'There was a long negotiation with lots of people to thank.'
He went on to describe this as a gesture of goodwill toward President Donald Trump, adding that it is a big moment 'in large part' because of Trump.
'The family is ecstatic,' Witkoff said.
In a post to his Truth Social account, the president said he hopes Alexander's release signifies a step toward ending the war between Israel and Hamas.
'I am grateful to all those involved in making this monumental news happen,' Trump wrote. 'This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones.'
The Hostage Family Forum released a statement on behalf of Alexander's family confirming that they were informed of the agreement. They are 'in ongoing contact with the US administration' regarding his potential release in the coming days.
Alexander was serving in the Israel Defense Forces when he was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, along with roughly 250 others.
Hamas previously agreed to release Alexander in March along with the bodies of four other dual nationals. But weeks later the militant group said it lost contact with group holding him.
At the time, Hamas blamed the issue on Israeli strikes that hit the area where Alexander was allegedly being held.
Hamas and Israel agreed to a temporary ceasefire in January, which led to the release of hostages in exchange for freeing Palestinians in Israeli custody. It also saw an influx of aid for Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
But the fragile ceasefire fell apart in March after negotiations stalled on how to expand the pause in hostilities into a sustainable end to the war.
Al-Hayya added on Sunday that Hamas was ready to negotiate 'and exert serious efforts to reach a final agreement to end the war'.
Gaza's future is unclear after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last week that the country's security Cabinet approved a plan to capture the entire enclave. Under this plan, more than 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza would be 'moved' out of the strip as Israel's military launched operations to defeat Hamas.
This plan was made public after a full-blown blockade on aid into the strip by Israel reached its third month. Representatives for the United Nations and Palestinians accused Israel of using aid as a 'weapon of war' at the International Court of Justice last month.
Disagreements on how to approach the situation in Gaza as well as Iran has led to tension between Trump and Netanyahu, according to two US officials, two Middle Eastern diplomats and two other people with knowledge.
While Netanyahu wants to continue a military approach, Trump sees an opportunity to make a deal with a now-weakened Iran, the sources told NBC News.
Netanyahu denied the reports on Sunday, insisting in a video on X that his relationship with Trump was 'excellent.' He added that the two allies see 'eye-to-eye on almost everything'.
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