Hamas, a Palestinian armed group, said on Sunday night it would release the last living American citizen to be taken prisoner in Gaza just days before President Trump arrived in the area for his first major foreign tour of his second term.
Hamas's chief negotiator, Khalil Al Haiya, said in a statement that Hamas agreed to release 21-year-old Edan Alexander after consultations with the US. He had not said that he had hoped that Mr. Alexander would be released when he was to be released and received by Hamas.
Alexander, a double-citizen of Israeli Americans who grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey, moved to Israel after high school to serve the military. During the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, Palestinian extremists accused him of the military post where he was stationed.
The announcement comes at a pivotal moment in the Middle East, with Trump set to land for diplomacy on Tuesday. Trump is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar after his disagreement with Israel about his discussions with Iran about his nuclear program.
The war in Gaza is heavily hanging over Trump's visit, despite not visiting Israel. The Israeli government is threatening major military attacks that will drive most people in Gaza, unless Hamas surrenders and takes over the remaining hostages. Israel has already blocked food and other aid to Gaza for more than two months, deepening the humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
Hamas widely refused to release more prisoners, saying that Israel must first commit to the path to end the war. However, in a possible effort to gain favour from Trump, Hamas agreed to release Alexander as a gesture of goodwill. According to US officials and another diplomat, who described the debate, spoke anonymously about the sensitive negotiations.
The exact timing and mechanism of Alexander's release was still unknown. The Trump administration hoped he would be released soon Monday, US officials said. Hamas official Mahmoud Maldawi said the release will take place the next day or two.
During discussions, the US has pledged to take on “great effort” to end the war in Gaza, Maldawi said.
“We were asked to release Alexander and followed that request,” he said in a phone interview. He said the Americans told Hamas that “war ran that course” and that it was “no longer justified.”
Alexander captured about 250 hostages during the attack on October 7th, igniting the war in Gaza. The hostages were taken to Gaza to use them as negotiation tips in future negotiations with Israel. After more than 18 months, 59 of them will remain in the enclave. Dozens of them, including four US citizens, are estimated to have been killed by Israeli authorities.
Mr. Alexander's parents, Adi and Yael Alexander, campaign tirelessly for his release, meeting officials and talking at the meeting. “We live this day over and over again,” Addie Alexander said in a February interview about the October 7 attack.
Alexander was traveling to Israel with Adam Berer, Trump's envoy to deal with hostages Sunday night, Bohrer said on the phone. He said Steve Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy and Secretary of State Marco Rubio helped secure Alexander's release.
In a statement, Alexander's family called his return “the greatest gift I can imagine,” urging the Israeli government to negotiate the release of the remaining prisoners. “We shouldn't leave hostages behind,” they said.
Trump called the news of Alexander's imminent release a “step taken in good faith towards the United States,” saying, “I hope this is the first and first final step necessary to end this cruel conflict.”
This year, the Trump administration broke it with a long-standing American policy of boycotting Hamas, which the US designated as a terrorist group. Mr. Bohler spoke directly with Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, to ensure Alexander's freedom and secure the bodies of four dead Americans. However, they were founded amid Israel's objections.
In previous rounds of negotiations, Hamas set a clear price to release more hostages. Israel must ultimately agree to end the war, withdraw its power from the Gaza Strip and release a large number of Palestinian prisoners.
During the two-month ceasefire that began in January, Hamas handed over 30 hostages and eight other bodies, while Israel had more than 1,500 Palestinians in prison. Israel said it had ended the ceasefire in mid-March, and talks to ensure the next step in the agreement were stalled.
On Sunday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Washington officially informed Israel that “Alexander's release would be a “gesture to the Americans” without “compensation or conditions.” US officials and diplomats said Hamas agreed to release Alexander without any specific requests.
However, Netanyahu's office suggested that Alexander's release would not suspend military operations in Gaza, at least for the time being. “Under Israeli policy, negotiations will take place as the fighting continues,” his office said.
The announcement that the United States had secured Alexander's promise of freedom prompted Israel to hope. But it also raised some Israelis' frustration with their own government. It did not gain the freedom of the remaining hostages.
Netanyahu's critics called on him to agree to an immediate agreement to end the war with Hamas and release the remaining hostages. Netanyahu argues that saving prisoners is less important than “a victory over our enemies.”
“The responsibility lies with the Israeli government,” said the Hostage Families Forum, an advocacy group seeking an agreement with Hamas. “No one should be left behind.”
Isabel Kirschner and Fatima Abdulkarim contributed to the report.
