Hamas said it is prepared to release American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander and the bodies of four dual nationals held hostage in Gaza.
The militant group said it had received “a proposal” from mediators, without going into details. Qatar and Egypt have mediated indirect talks between Israel and Hamas.
“The movement responded with responsibility and positivity, submitting its reply at dawn today, which included its approval to release Zionist soldier Edan Alexander, who holds American citizenship, in addition to the bodies of four others with dual nationality.”
Alexander would be the first male soldier to be released from Hamas captivity. In previous exchanges, Hamas has demanded a much higher price for the freedom of male soldiers than it has for civilians or women.
The group hasn’t identified the names of the dead hostages it is willing to release or specified when any hostages may be freed.
The United States has put forward a new proposal that would secure the release of a handful of living hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a month-long extension of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, a source familiar with the negotiations said.
Under the US proposal, which was presented this week in Qatar by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Israel would also lift its blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been ongoing for nearly two weeks.
Its announcement comes days after the US said it was negotiating with Hamas directly over the ceasefire deal, going against its tradition of not talking to groups it considers terrorist organizations.
It also comes after US envoy Steve Witkoff visited the Qatari capital Doha for meetings with Arab officials on Wednesday, according to an Arab diplomat, and as Israel sent a delegation this week to Doha.
In a statement Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that “while Israel has accepted the Witkoff outline, Hamas remains steadfast in its refusal and has not budged a millimeter.”
“At the same time, it continues to engage in manipulation and psychological warfare,” it said, adding that the prime minister will convene with his team on Saturday night for “a detailed report from the negotiating team, and to decide on the next steps for the release of the hostages.”
Israel alleged that Hamas rejected a proposal put forth by Witkoff last week, which sought to extend a ceasefire in Gaza over the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and Jewish Passover holiday, without a commitment by Israel for a permanent ceasefire.
A senior Hamas official told CNN Friday that the group is still committed to the initial deal agreed with Israel that could bring the war in Gaza to an end. The official said the group accepted a proposal from mediators to release Alexander and the bodies of four dead dual national hostages as an exception.
Hamas has previously said it does not oppose releasing Alexander as part of negotiations to end the war, according to Hamas-affiliated Al Aqsa TV, citing senior Hamas official Taher Al Nunu. Hamas had relayed that message to US officials during recent talks, Al Nunu was cited as saying.
‘An all-American kid’
Alexander is the only American hostage believed to be alive in Gaza. Four other dead Americans are also held by Hamas – Judi Weinstein Haggai and her husband Gad Haggai, and soldiers Itay Chan and Omer Maxim Neutra.
At least 12 American Israelis are thought to have been captured during the militant group’s attack in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Hamas released a propaganda video of Alexander three months ago, showing the Israeli- American hostage pleading with Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump not to forget him and to do whatever they can to free the remaining hostages in Gaza. Netanyahu’s office had called it “the publication of the brutal psychological warfare video in which an important and exciting sign of life was received from Edan.”
Alexander’s father, Adi, told CNN Tuesday that they had seen the video, and that Alexander was “just holding up.”
“He is there, and he is alive, and just waiting patiently,” Adi said, adding that the family knows “he’s not in a great condition.”
“He lost a lot of weight, maybe suffer some injuries on October 7, because he was brutally attacked by more than more than 20 militants,” he said, describing his son as “an all-American kid.”
The Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum has criticized prioritizing the release of captives based on their nationalities, and called for the freeing of all hostages regardless of the passports they hold.
“The hostages returning should only be the opening to an agreement that will return everyone in one step and immediately,” the forum said, adding that otherwise it is “abandonment” that is “based on a foreign passport.”
“If Israel insists on stopping halfway and abandoning its citizens behind, every Jewish mom will know that she must issue a foreign passport to her child, or they will be abandoned,” the forum said.
Meanwhile, the fate of more than two million Palestinians in Gaza hinges on Israel’s next move. Israel has cut the flow of electricity to the last facility in Gaza that was still receiving power from the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) and has closed its main crossings with the enclave to aid.
The United Nations’ World Food Programme said on Friday that since March 2, the agency has not been able to transport any food supplies into Gaza due to the closure of all border crossing points for both humanitarian and commercial supplies, adding that the WFP has the equivalent of “two to three months of distributions for 1.1 million people, pending authorization to enter Gaza.”
CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim, Abeer Salman, Jeremy Diamond contributed reporting.
