Palestinian armed group Hamas said on Sunday night that it would release Edan Alexander, the last U.S. living U.S. citizen to be captured in the Gaza Strip, just days before President Trump is expected to conduct his first foreign tour of his second term in the region.
In a statement, Hamas' chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya did not say when Mr. Alexander will be released and if anything, Hamas will be exchanged. However, the Trump administration hopes Mr. Alexander will be released immediately on Monday.
The announcement came at a critical moment in the region. Palestinians have been escalating a lot of Israel’s new ground offensive in Gaza, while the families of the Israeli hostages have expressed hope for a breakthrough to free their loved ones.
Alexander, 21, grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey, and moved to Israel after graduating from high school to serve in the military. He was in a military post on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants rushed into the border in a raid, triggering the Gaza war.
Mr. Alexander was kidnapped with about 250 others and taken to Gaza as a bargain in future negotiations with Israel. More than 18 months later, 59 of them remained in the enclave. Dozens of them were killed by Israeli authorities, including four U.S. citizens.
According to two Palestinians and a diplomat familiar with Hamas decision-making, U.S. officials secured Mr. Alexander's release directly with the Hamas leader and broke the organization's traditional boycott, all speaking anonymously because of the sensitivity of the conversation.
