Hamas agreed Friday to release American hostage Edan Alexander and the bodies of four other deceased American-Israeli hostages, the terror group said in a statement.
Hamas did not specify its demands in exchange for the American captives, but the group did say that it met with Egyptian and Qatari negotiators Thursday to discuss extending its cease-fire with Israel to halt the war in Gaza.
Hamas terrorists abducted Alexander during its massacre on October, 7, 2023 while he was volunteering for the Israeli military. Hamas killed over 1,200 civilians and kidnapped 250 hostages on October 7, igniting Israel’s multi-front war against the Iranian regime’s terror proxy organizations.
The Israeli prime minister’s office called Hamas’s statement “manipulation and psychological warfare” and said it agreed to a proposal from Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Axios.
“While Israel has accepted the Witkoff proposal, Hamas stands by its refusal and has not budged a millimeter,” the statement reads.
Witkoff proposed extending the cease-fire through after Ramadan and Passover next month, and resuming humanitarian aid into Gaza, Axios reported. His deal would have Hamas immediately release at least five living and nine murdered hostages, while giving both parties the chance to negotiate a lasting cease-fire.
Hamas’s statement comes after the Trump administration removed hostage envoy Adam Boehler from the Hamas portfolio following his direct talks with the terrorist group and a botched media blitz, Jewish Insider first reported. Boehler had to take to social media last week to clarify his tough position on Hamas after suggesting they were “nice guys” during their negotiations.
President Donald Trump has threatened severe consequences for Hamas if it does not agree to release all of the remaining hostages. The terror group is still holding 59 hostages in Gaza and 22 of them are believed to be alive.
“Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you. Only sick and twisted people keep bodies, and you are sick and twisted! I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say,” Trump said on Truth Social earlier this month.
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas for the second phase of the Gaza cease-fire have hit a roadblock after the first phase of the deal concluded earlier this month. Hamas released 33 hostages, 25 living and eight dead, in exchange for roughly 1900 Palestinian prisoners over the course of six weeks. The U.S., Egypt, and Qatar brokered the initial phase of the deal in January to halt the fighting in Gaza after almost 500 days of conflict.