Hamas announced the release of Edan Alexander, 21, the only Israeli-American soldier believed to be still alive among the hostages held by the terrorist group. U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, now in Oman for nuclear talks with Iran, reported that they will retrieve him on Monday. “There was a long negotiation with many people to thank.”
The head of the Hamas diplomatic team, Khalil al-Hayya, explained that Alexander’s release was just one “of the measures taken to reach a ceasefire, reopen the crossings, and allow aid to arrive.” Some inside sources reported that the release would be a show of wanting to get closer to President Donald Trump, who is coming to the Middle East next week.
In theory, Alexander, born in New Jersey and enlisted by the IDF, should have been released last March, along with other people with dual citizenship. However, the terrorist group had claimed that it had lost contact with those in charge of these hostages due to an Israeli attack. Al-Hayya did not clarify whether Alexander is actually still alive or anything regarding his health status.
Fifty-nine hostages are still missing and it is unclear how many of them are still alive. “We call on Hamas to also return the bodies of four other Americans who were abducted,” urged the U.S. special envoy for the hostage response, Adam Boehler. According to representatives of the Hostage Family Forum, Alexander’s release is “the beginning of a unified agreement” to bring everyone home.
From Israel, the answer is definitive: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to begin negotiations for the release of the hostages, but the war in Gaza will continue. “Negotiations will take place under pressure, with a commitment to achieve all the objectives of the war” in the face of last week’s Cabinet decision to seize the entire Strip.
Over the past three months, after the partial truce agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, the situation in the Gaza Strip has escalated. All functioning hospitals have been hit, access to humanitarian aid has been suspended, and surviving Palestinians have begun to die of starvation.
