Hamas has said it will release a US-Israeli captive held in Gaza, as the group confirmed it was engaged in direct talks with the United States towards securing a ceasefire in the war-ravaged enclave and getting aid flowing again to a suffering Palestinian population.
The Palestinian group released a statement on Sunday: “Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, a dual US national, will be released as part of the steps taken towards a ceasefire, reopen the crossings, and deliver aid and relief to our people in the Gaza Strip”.
Israel has blocked all aid going into Gaza, including food, medicine and fuel, for 70 days.
The Hamas statement did not indicate when the 21-year-old Alexander would be released, but it is thought to be in the coming 48 hours.
Israeli media reported that US envoy Steve Witkoff will be in Israel on Monday as part of the deal.
The announcement comes shortly before US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East this week – which does not include a trip to Israel. Trump and Witkoff have frequently mentioned Alexander by name in the past few months.
Witkoff later confirmed Hamas had agreed to release Alexander in the hopes of restarting ceasefire talks.
Alexander, who grew up in the US, was taken from his military base during the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack.
In its statement on Sunday, Hamas said it was willing to “immediately begin intensive negotiations” that could lead to an agreement to end the war and would see Gaza under a technocratic and independent administration.
“This will ensure calm and stability for many years, along with reconstruction and the end of the blockade,” the group said.
Qatar and Egypt, the two main mediators, welcomed Hamas’ announcement, saying they considered the group’s move a gesture of goodwill and an encouraging step toward the parties’ return to ceasefire negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Sunday that the US told Israel that Hamas’s freeing of Alexander would lead to negotiations for the release of more captives. The statement added that Israel’s policy hasn’t changed: negotiations will be conducted under fire with a continued commitment to achieving all war objectives.
‘A lot of questions’
Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from Amman, Jordan, said: “It’s unclear exactly what kind of reaction the Israeli government officials had with these direct talks between Hamas and the United States, but last time they were quite angry and that’s because the Israelis weren’t involved and had no knowledge of those talks and the Americans hit back by saying they didn’t need anyone’s permission to negotiate with any of the actors involved because they were American captives held in Gaza”.
“There are a lot of questions from a lot of different angles, specifically from the family members of those captives, from the larger part of Israeli society who have been protesting in the thousands for more than 1.5 years, accusing Benjamin Netanyahu of prolonging the war for his own personal and political gain. And in fact, Israeli officials have been saying the quiet part out loud in recent weeks, saying that the captives were not the main priority for the Israeli government and that they had other goals and objectives they needed to achieve”, she added.
“The family members of captives say that the Israeli government is choosing land grabs over the lives of Israelis who are still being held in Gaza”, she continued, referring to the Israeli government’s decision to expand its offensive in Gaza with a view to reoccupying parts of the territory.
Talks ongoing in Doha
Earlier on Sunday, two Hamas officials told the AFP news agency that talks were ongoing in the Qatari capital of Doha with the US and reported “progress” had been made.
One Hamas official, speaking about the talks with the US, said there was “progress made … notably on the entry of aid to the Gaza Strip” and the potential exchange of captives for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.
A second official also reported progress “on the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip”.
Israel shattered the last ceasefire, which lasted two months, on March 18, launching a major offensive in Gaza and ramping up its bombardment of the territory.
It has also cut off all aid to Gaza since March 2, saying it would pressure Hamas to release the remaining captives. None have been released since the fleeting truce earlier this year, when several captives were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.
A total of 59 captives are still in Gaza, around a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
Starvation has taken hold across Gaza due to the Israeli blockade.
Earlier this month, the Israeli government approved plans to expand its offensive in the Gaza Strip, with officials talking of retaining a long-term occupying presence there.
The Health Ministry in Gaza said on Sunday that at least 2,720 people have been killed since Israel resumed its assault, bringing the overall Palestinian death toll since the war broke out to 52,829.
