Hamas to release Israeli-American hostage held in Gaza, Edan Alexander

A pistillate holds a poster bearing a representation of an Israeli hostage held by Hamas successful Gaza since October 2023 adjacent to respective portaits, including 2 (C) of Israeli-US captive Edan Alexander, astatine Hostages Square successful Tel Aviv arsenic radical hold for his merchandise connected May 12, 2025. Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images

TEL AVIV, Israel — Hamas is expected to merchandise Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander connected Monday, arsenic portion of what the militant radical said was a measurement toward reaching a ceasefire statement with Israel.

Alexander, a 21 year-old Israeli worker raised successful New Jersey, is the past remaining U.S. national captured by Hamas connected Oct. 7, 2023 and held 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.

President Trump posted on his societal media level that the merchandise is simply a "step taken successful bully faith" to enactment an extremity to the war.

In a statement, Hamas said it had been holding talks with the U.S. for the past respective days. The militant radical said the merchandise would travel arsenic portion of a ceasefire effort to unfastened Gaza's borderline crossings and bring assistance to Gaza. Israel has blocked each assistance including nutrient and aesculapian supplies for much than 10 weeks to unit Hamas to merchandise much hostages. Humanitarian groups accidental it is driving rampant hunger successful the territory.

A Hamas authoritative says the U.S. has promised "gestures" successful exchange

A Hamas official, speaking connected information of anonymity due to the fact that helium was not authorized to talk publicly, told NPR that the merchandise was successful instrumentality for unspecified gestures the U.S. promised.

The authoritative hinted it anticipated Israel to merchandise immoderate Palestinian prisoners and guarantee immoderate assistance into Gaza, and expected the U.S. to negociate a broader woody with Israel that guarantees the extremity of the war.

"The shot is present successful the American and Israeli court. We gave the Americans what they asked for. They request to get the different broadside to springiness things too," the Hamas authoritative said.

Israel denies it indispensable connection concessions successful speech for hostage's release

A connection from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bureau connected Monday said that Alexander's instrumentality "without thing successful return" is acknowledgment to President Trump's diplomacy and the Israeli military's unit successful Gaza.

The connection said Israel has not agreed to a ceasefire successful speech for Alexander's release.

In what's known arsenic Hostages Square successful downtown Tel Aviv, scores of Israelis stood successful beforehand of a ample tv surface with Alexander's photo, awaiting his release. Supporters held signs with the photos of different Israeli hostages inactive held successful Gaza. One pistillate successful a agleam yellowish pantsuit held a motion successful English that said "Trump we spot you."

Supporters of the hostages expressed vexation that the Israeli enactment has not achieved their state portion the U.S. struck its ain woody with Hamas for the merchandise of a U.S. citizen.

"Trump is doing a large occupation successful maintaining and continuing to get these hostages back, and I americium not definite what our authorities is doing to guarantee the merchandise of the hostages," said Maya Weinrich, a 27-year-old aesculapian pupil and dual U.S.-Israeli citizen.

Palestinians successful Gaza praised President Trump

In Gaza City, Palestinian nonmigratory Awni Abu Kumail said helium understands wherefore Hamas agreed to merchandise Alexander.

"Hamas wants to beryllium to the U.S. that it isn't the 1 holding up the ceasefire talks," Abu Kumail said.

"Trump has shown Israel that the United States is stronger," said nonmigratory Ahmed Abu Hadid successful Gaza City. "Without the U.S. determination would ne'er beryllium immoderate solutions."

Hostage merchandise woody is latest U.S. sidestep of Israel

Alexander's merchandise comes arsenic Trump heads 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.

The U.S.-Hamas woody is the latest successful a bid of large decisions Trump has taken successful the Mideast portion sidestepping Israel's leadership. Those moves see U.S. atomic talks with Iran, a truce with the Houthis successful Yemen that did not warrant the extremity of Houthi rocket attacks connected Israel, and U.S. talks for a Saudi civilian atomic programme that would not beryllium conditioned connected Saudi Arabia establishing diplomatic ties with Israel successful return.

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 not to negociate with groups it designates arsenic terrorists.

Qatar and Egypt — 2 countries that 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.

Scores of different hostages stay successful Hamas captivity arsenic Israel wages war

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 connected each assistance including nutrient and fuel, portion continuing a deadly and destructive aerial campaign. 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.

Daniel Estrin, Itay Stern and Carrie Kahn contributed to this study from Tel Aviv, Anas Baba from Gaza City, and Abu Bakr Bashir from London.