Hamas announces release of Israeli American hostage

Hamas has confirmed in a statement that the group is going to be releasing dual-national citizen Edan Alexander, reported Al Jazeera.

He was an Israeli soldier at the time he was taken captive on October 7, 2023 and the US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, says that he’s arriving in Israel on Monday in hopes of bringing Alexander back to the United States, where he also holds citizenship.

US President Donald Trump celebrated an announcement by Hamas that it would release US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander from Gaza, with the US president saying he hoped all hostages would be released and fighting ended.

“I am grateful to all those involved in making this monumental news happen,” Trump said in a post on social media, describing the release as a “good faith gesture”.

“Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict,” he added.

Egypt and Qatar also welcomed on Sunday an announcement by Hamas that it would release US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander from Gaza, as part of direct talks with the United States towards a ceasefire.

In a joint statement, the countries, who along with the US have mediated talks between Hamas and Israel, called it “a gesture of goodwill and an encouraging step toward a return to the negotiating table to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of prisoners and detainees, and ensure the safe and unhindered flow of aid to address the tragic conditions in the strip”.