Hamas says it will release Israeli American Edan Alexander, held hostage in Gaza

Varda Ben Baruch holds a photograph of her grandson Israeli American hostage Edan Alexander during a rally of families of hostages held successful the Gaza Strip connected April 20 successful Nir Oz, Israel. Amir Levy/Getty Images hide caption

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Amir Levy/Getty Images

TEL AVIV, Israel — Hamas says it volition merchandise Israeli American Edan Alexander from Gaza arsenic a measurement toward reaching a ceasefire statement with Israel, according to a connection connected the militant group's Telegram channel.

Alexander is simply a 21-year-old Israeli worker with dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship who was captured portion connected work successful the Hamas-led attacks connected confederate Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023. He is the past remaining American national held by Hamas successful Gaza who is believed to inactive beryllium alive. The bodies of 4 different Americans are inactive held successful Gaza, according to the U.S.

In the statement, Hamas said it had been holding concealed talks with the U.S. for the past respective days, and that Alexander "will beryllium released arsenic portion of the steps taken to found a ceasefire." It said his merchandise would travel arsenic portion of ceasefire efforts to unfastened Gaza's borderline crossings and bring assistance to Gaza aft much than 10 weeks of an Israeli blockade that planetary humanitarian groups accidental is driving rampant hunger successful the territory.

President Trump took to societal media connected Sunday to corroborate the statement with Hamas connected Alexander's release, saying that it was made to "put an extremity to this precise brutal warfare and instrumentality ALL surviving hostages and remains to their loved ones."

Israeli officials person not yet commented publically connected whether they were alert of the talks, but a connection from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bureau said the U.S. had "informed Israel of Hamas's volition to merchandise worker Edan Alexander arsenic a goodwill motion to the Americans, without immoderate conditions oregon compensation." It said Israel is "preparing for the possibility" of his release.

Earlier this year, both Hamas and the U.S. confirmed that the 2 parties had been holding nonstop talks starting arsenic aboriginal arsenic January — successful a large displacement successful American policy, arsenic the U.S. had not engaged straight with Hamas since it designated it a violent enactment successful 1997. It has been a long-standing U.S. argumentation to not negociate with groups it designates arsenic terrorists.

Qatar and Egypt — 2 countries who person played cardinal roles successful dialog efforts betwixt Israel and Hamas passim the war, on with the U.S. — issued a associated announcement welcoming the merchandise of Alexander, calling it a "encouraging step" toward a ceasefire successful Gaza.

The announcement astir Alexander's imaginable merchandise comes soon earlier Trump departs for the portion to sojourn Arab allies successful the Gulf connected Monday, successful his archetypal overseas travel during his 2nd term. He is not expected to sojourn Israel, but is expected to sermon the aboriginal of Gaza with Arab leaders.

Hamas has not yet said erstwhile Alexander would beryllium released, though Steve Witkoff, Trump's peculiar envoy to the Middle East, told NBC quality connected Sunday that helium is traveling to Israel, and "picking him up astir apt tomorrow." He said the merchandise was happening mostly due to the fact that of President Trump. Witkoff's bureau did not instantly respond to NPR's petition for comment.

There are 59 hostages remaining successful Gaza, including Alexander, much than fractional of whom are believed to beryllium dead, according to Israel. Hamas had released 38 hostages successful speech for thousands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel nether a ceasefire woody that began connected Jan. 19. But Israel's subject broke that ceasefire successful March, aft negotiations betwixt the 2 parties failed to nutrient an hold of the truce.

Israel has since gained power of astir a 3rd of Gaza's territory, and has imposed a implicit blockade portion continuing a deadly and destructive aerial run throughout. Earlier this period it said it planned to grow its violative there.

Gaza wellness authorities accidental much than 52,000 Palestinians person been killed by Israeli attacks connected the territory since the commencement of the warfare successful October 2023. About 1,200 radical successful Israel were killed successful the Hamas-led attacks that period and immoderate 250 radical were taken hostage, according to Israel.

Kat Lonsdorf reported from Washington, D.C., and Daniel Estrin reported from Tel Aviv. Itay Stern contributed to this study from Tel Aviv, Ahmed Abuhamda contributed from Cairo and Nuha Musleh from Ramallah.