Hamas announced Sunday that Edan Alexander, the last American hostage remaining in Gaza, will be released as part of efforts to establish a cease-fire, reopen crossings into the Israeli-blockaded territory, and resume humanitarian aid deliveries.
The statement did not specify a timeline for his release. The announcement comes just ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned visit to the Middle East, though he is not expected to travel to Israel.
Alexander, an Israeli-American soldier raised in the U.S., was captured during Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, incursion on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has yet to respond. Netanyahu’s government had expressed frustration earlier this year over U.S. direct talks with Hamas.
Khalil al-Hayyah, a Hamas leader in Gaza, said the group has been in contact with the U.S. administration over the past few days.
Al-Hayyah said in a statement that Hamas is ready to "immediately start intensive negotiations” to reach a final deal for a long-term truce, which includes an end to the war, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners and hostages in Gaza, and the handover of power in Gaza to an independent body of technocrats.
Alexander’s parents did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, have frequently mentioned Alexander, now 21, by name in recent months. Witkoff is expected to visit Israel in the coming hours.
"Every time they say Edan’s name, it’s like they didn’t forget. They didn’t forget he’s American, and they’re working on it,” Edan’s mother, Yael Alexander, told The Associated Press in February.
Hamas released a video of Alexander in November during the Thanksgiving weekend, his favorite holiday, his mother said.
A native of Tenafly, New Jersey, where his parents and two younger siblings still live, Edan Alexander moved to Israel in 2022 after high school and enlisted in the military.
Fifty-nine hostages are still inside Gaza after most of the others were released in cease-fire agreements or other deals.
