Hamas agreed to release Edan Alexander, a double citizen of the United States. The Israeli citizen was considered to be the last living US citizen living in Gaza a few weeks after losing contact with the group that held him hostage.
His release is part of “measures to achieve a ceasefire, open crossings and allow aid,” said Khalil Al Haiya, head of Hamas negotiation team, on Sunday. Al Hayya did not provide any information about Alexander’s condition.
Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, confirmed the agreement with NBC News and said he is traveling to Israel to secure Alexander’s release.
“We’re probably picking him up tomorrow,” Witkov said. “We’ve had long negotiations with a lot of people.”
He continues to describe this as a goodwill gesture to President Donald Trump, adding that it is a “largely” big moment for Trump.
“The family is being ec,” Witkov said.
Alexander was serving in the Israeli Defense Forces when he was taken hostage on October 7, 2023.
Hamas previously agreed to release Alexander in March along with the bodies of four other double nationals. However, a few weeks later, the extremist group said they had lost contact with the group that harbored him.
At the time, Hamas condemned the issue of Israeli strikes attacking the area where Alexander was allegedly being held.
Hamas and Israel agreed to a temporary ceasefire in January, leading to the release of hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians in Israeli custody. Also, aid flowed into Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
However, the fragile ceasefire collapsed in March after negotiations stagnated on how to expand the suspension of hostilities into the sustainable purpose of the war.
This is developing story. Please check for updates.
