Hamas Agrees to Free US-Israeli Prisoner During Direct Discussions with US Regarding Ceasefire and Access to Aid

Hamas has declared that it will free Edan Alexander, a US-Israeli prisoner, as peace negotiations with the US raise hopes for stability and assistance.

In addition to confirming that it was holding direct discussions with the US to secure a truce in the war-ravaged enclave and restore relief to a suffering Palestinian population, Hamas has announced that it will free a US-Israeli captive detained in Gaza.

“Being a dual US national, Israeli soldier Edan Alexander 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,” the Palestinian group said in a statement issued on Sunday.

Israel has prohibited all help, including food, medicine, and fuel, from entering Gaza for seventy days.

Alexander, 21, is expected to be freed within the next 48 hours, however the Hamas statement did not specify when this would happen.

As part of the agreement, US envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Israel on Monday, according to Israeli media.

The statement, which excludes a visit to Israel, comes just before US President Donald Trump’s travel to the Middle East this week. Alexander’s name has been brought up by Trump and Witkoff on multiple occasions in recent months.

Witkoff subsequently verified that Hamas had consented to Alexander’s release in an attempt to resume peace negotiations.

Alexander was abducted from his military base during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught. He was born and raised in the United States.

According to a statement released by Hamas on Sunday, it is prepared to “immediately begin intensive negotiations” that might result in a deal to halt the war and see Gaza run by an autonomous and technocratic government.

The organization said that this would guarantee peace and stability for many years to come, as well as reconstruction and the lifting of the embargo.

The two principal mediators, Qatar and Egypt, praised Hamas’ announcement, stating that they saw it as a show of goodwill and a positive step toward the parties’ resumption to ceasefire talks.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported on Sunday that the United States informed Israel that negotiations for the release of further prisoners will follow Hamas’s release of Alexander.

Israel has not altered its stance, the statement stated, and talks will continue to be held under fire while maintaining a commitment to accomplishing all war goals.

“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.” The American response was that they didn’t need permission to negotiate with any of the actors involved because they were American captives held in Gaza, according to a reporter from Amman, Jordan.

In particular, the relatives of those prisoners and the greater Israeli population, who have been demonstrating in large numbers for over a year and a half, have raised numerous concerns, claiming that Benjamin Netanyahu has been extending the conflict for his own political and personal benefit. In fact, Israeli officials have been stating aloud the silent part in recent weeks, claiming that the Israeli government had other priorities and that the detainees were not its top priority, she continued.

The Israeli government’s decision to increase its attack in Gaza with the goal of reoccupying sections of the region was cited by the prisoners’ relatives as evidence that the government is prioritizing land grabs over the lives of Israelis currently detained in Gaza, she added.

Speaking to the US in Doha, the capital of Qatar, earlier on Sunday, two Hamas leaders said that “progress” had been achieved in the ongoing negotiations.

Speaking about the discussions with the United States, one Hamas official stated that “progress was made, notably on the entry of aid to the Gaza Strip” and that there was a possibility of exchanging hostages for Palestinian inmates held by Israel.

Improvements “on the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip” were also reported by a second source.

When Israel launched a massive offensive in Gaza and increased its shelling of the region on March 18, it broke the previous ceasefire, which had lasted for two months.

As part of its pledge to put pressure on Hamas to free the remaining prisoners, it has also stopped providing any aid to Gaza since March 2. Following the brief ceasefire earlier this year, during which a number of inmates were traded for Palestinian detainees, none have been freed.

Following the release of the majority of the remaining detainees in ceasefire accords or other agreements, 59 are still in Gaza, with around one-third of them thought to be alive.

The Israeli blockade of Gaza has caused starvation to spread throughout the region.

The Israeli cabinet authorized preparations to increase its offensive in the Gaza Strip earlier this month, and authorities have discussed maintaining a long-term occupying presence there.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 2,720 Palestinians have died since Israel relaunched its attack, raising the total number of Palestinian deaths since the start of the conflict to 52,829 as of Sunday.