Hamas on Friday agreed to release the last living American hostage Edan Alexander in captivity in the Gaza strip.
According to a deal introduced by the mediators, a 21-year-old Israel-American will be released along with the bodies of four other hostages. Till Friday, Alexander has been taken captive for 525 days, stated by the platform of hostages and missing families.
It is unclear when the transfer will occur, but it comes when a conversation is going on in Qatar to establish the next phase of the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire, the first phase of which ended on 1 March. The bodies that will be released are of the double-national hostages, the Associated Press told.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that he would call his ministerial team on Saturday to receive a detailed report from the negotiaters and decide on the next stages for the release of the hostages.
Last living American mortgage in Hamas captivity, meet Aidan Alexander
Born in Tel Aviv and raised in New Jersey, Aadan Alexander is currently being taken hostage by Hamas in Gaza. (Hostage family platform)
Steve Witcoff’s office, the Middle East Special Envoy, and the National Security Council said in a joint statement that “President Trump made it clear that Hamas would either leave the hostage immediately, or pay a serious price.”
“In Doha on Wednesday evening, the Middle East Steve Witcofoff and American Special Envoy for the National Security Council and Senior Director of the National Security Council for the Middle East and North Africa, Eric Treasure, submitted a ‘bridge’ proposal to expand the ceasefire beyond Ramadan and Possus, and allowed to negotiate a framework for a permanent conflict.
Under the “” Bridge “proposal, Hamas will leave the living hostages in exchange for prisoners according to the previous sources; Phase-a ceasefire will be enhanced to enable the ceasefire to resume significant human assistance; and the US would work towards a durable solution for this untreated struggle during the expanded struggle period,” it continued. “Through our Katri and Egyptian partners, Hamas was stated in no uncertain terms that this” bridge “would have to be implemented soon-and that the double US-Israeli citizen Aidan Alexander would have to be released immediately.
The statement said, “Unfortunately, Hamas has publicly chosen to respond by claiming flexibility, while privately demands that are completely impractical without a permanent ceasefire.” “Hamas is a very bad condition that time is on its side. This is not.”
Netanyahu also said on Friday that “while Israel has accepted the Vitkoff proposal, Hamas is firm in his refusal and has not run an inch” and “at the same time, it continues to employ manipulations and psychological war.”
Yale Alexander, the mother of the hostage Aidan Alexander, speaks during the ‘Run for Hiz Lives’ rally and runs in the 100th day Central Park, which on 7 October 2024 in New York city by Hamas on 7 October 2024. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
Senior Hamas officer Besamam Name told Fox News on Friday that “a delegation from the leadership of the Hamas movement received a resolution to resume the conversation with the mediators yesterday, and responded responsibly and positively.
“The movement presented its response this morning, agreed to release … Aidan Alexander, who holds American citizenship, with dual citizenship with four others’ remains,” NAIM said. “We confirm our complete readiness to engage in conversation and reach a comprehensive agreement on second phase issues, and call to bind the business to fully implement our commitments.”
Although he spent most of his lives in New Jersey, Alexander was born a few months ago in Israel, when his parents moved to America, according to the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
After Trump’s danger, Hamas Charan 2 refuses to issue more mortgage without the ceasefire deal
Donald Trump was shown pictures of Aden Alexander by his mother Yale Alexander at Ohail Chabad Lubwich on October 7, 2024 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
After graduating from high school, Alexander decided that he would join Israel Defense Forces (IDF) instead of enrolling in college.
On 7 October, Alexander, who was serving in the Golani Brigade of an Infantry Unit IDF, was patrolling near Gaza when Hamas’s attacks on Israel started. The attacks ended with 1,200 Israelis and 251 hostages including Alexander were taken.
Yale Alexander, the mother of Aidan recalled the day she was held hostage in a recent interview with the AJC’s “People of the Pod”. Yale was in Israel in early October 2023, was visiting his family and hoping to see Aidan. On the morning of 7 October, he spoke with Aidan, who said he was watching “terrible stuff”, but he assured him that he was safe. Then he was taken hostage.
On November 30, 2024, more than a year after catching Alexander, Hamas released a video of Alexander who spoke in Hebrew and Arabic. Alexander, forced to create promotional videos like other hostages, gave a message about Netanyahu and the then President-Flaw Donald Trump.
Donald Trump has been seen on 7 October 2024 with a photo of Aden Alexander in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The Hostels and Missing Familys Forum said on Friday that it “welcomes the return of every hostage in every way – whether they come home for rehabilitation or burial.”
“An immediate and comprehensive deal must be started to secure the release of ‘all hostages’,” said this. “As President Trump has assured our families and the world, and as he has repeatedly said, the return of all the hostages is a top priority for his administration. His commitment to bring our loved ones home has given us hope during this dark time.
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“As of today, 59 hostages remain,” the group also said. “We pray for a deal every day that brings home each of them, immediately.”
Fox News’ Yale Rotem-Kuril, Train Yingst, Rachel Wolf and Stephen Sorece contributed to this report.
