Hamas says American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander to be released today at 12:00

Hamas announced last night (Sunday) the release of kidnapped soldier Edan Alexander as part of the measures it is "taking to support the ceasefire, the opening of crossings, and the entry of aid," according to the terror group's statement.

Senior Hamas officials told the Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that Alexander will be released today at 12:00.

U.S. President Donald Trump published a post last night on his social media platform, Truth Social, confirming the expected release of Edan Alexander. “I’m happy to announce that Edan Alexander, an American citizen held captive since October 2023, is returning home to his family,” he wrote.

“I am grateful to everyone who helped make this amazing news happen. This was a gesture of goodwill toward the United States, with the help of mediators – Qatar and Egypt – to end this brutal war and bring all hostages and the bodies of the fallen back to their families. I hope this will be one of the final steps necessary to end this terrible conflict. I’m greatly looking forward to this celebratory day,” Trump added.

A senior member of the terror organization told the Associated Press that after five days of negotiations with Egypt and Qatar, and discussions with U.S. representatives, Hamas received advice from the mediators to “give a gift to U.S. President Donald Trump and get an even better gift in return.” According to that source, Hamas decided this evening to release Edan Alexander, and in return, Trump may later announce “an end to the war, a flow of aid, and a hostage deal.”

Israeli assessments also indicate that Hamas wishes to release the hostage Edan Alexander as a gesture to Trump, who is expected to begin his Middle East tour this week. This was first reported this evening by our correspondent Gili Cohen on the Kan News broadcast.

White House envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler told Reuters that efforts are being made to recover four deceased U.S. hostages: soldiers Omer Neutra and Itay Chen, and the couple Gadi Haggai and Judy Weinstein Haggai from Nir Oz.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office stated: “The release of Edan Alexander is expected to lead to negotiations for the release of hostages under the original Witkoff framework.” That framework includes the release of 10 hostages, likely in exchange for several months of ceasefire.

Two senior Hamas sources told the Saudi Al-Sharq channel that progress has been made on the entry of humanitarian aid, a two-phase hostage deal, and a ceasefire. Talks with the U.S. focused on a 70-day ceasefire, which could be extended in exchange for the release of 10 living Israeli hostages, with American guarantees that Israel would not resume fighting.

The IDF has begun preparations on the ground for the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza. According to informed sources, the U.S. has requested to speed up the process ahead of President Trump’s trip to the Middle East. The distribution of aid requires approval from the political echelon, which has not yet been granted.

During a meeting yesterday of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there is a high chance that Hamas will indeed release Edan Alexander as a gesture, given that he is an American citizen. According to attendees, the prime minister sounded very optimistic that this would happen.

Israel believes the pressure on mediators and Hamas will lead to progress in hostage negotiations, though not necessarily to a comprehensive deal. An Israeli source estimated this would be an attempt to push Israel to agree to a ceasefire, though it is unclear whether this would include the release of additional hostages. Those involved in the negotiations describe intense pressure ahead of Trump’s visit to the Gulf states.

On Nov. 30, 2024, Hamas released a video showing proof of life of Edan Alexander, which was cleared for publication by his family. In the video, Edan delivered messages in Hebrew and English, noting how many days he had been held in captivity and directly addressing U.S. President Trump, who had just been elected for a second term, highlighting his American citizenship.

Alexander was born in Montvale, New Jersey. On Oct. 7, 2023, during the Hamas massacre, he was kidnapped from the IDF Kissufim military outpost, where heavy fighting with Hamas terrorists took place. That very Saturday, footage of him being kidnapped alive was circulated.

Edan is the son of Adi and Yael and has two brothers. He left his family in the USA and immigrated to Israel to enlist about two years before the abduction. In Israel, he was adopted by a host family and chose to serve in a combat role.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum released a statement on behalf of the Alexander family: “As both an Israeli soldier and an American citizen, the governments of Israel and the U.S. are committed to his safety and to bringing him home. Israel is also committed to ensuring the return of the remaining 58 hostages without delay. No hostage should be left behind.”

Einav Tsangauker, mother of Matan Tsangauker, who is also held hostage in Gaza, said, “My Matan is being held with Edan Alexander in the same dark tunnel without any other hostages. If Matan is left alone in that tunnel, Netanyahu is deciding to murder my child. Instead of releasing all the hostages, he’s becoming my private Angel of Death. He failed to bring you back, and I won’t let you rot there. I will fight for you every second, every moment, to get you out of this hell.”

An Israeli official issued a statement early this morning, writing: “Thanks to military pressure, Hamas has so far agreed to release most of our hostages, regardless of their foreign passports. We will continue doing everything possible to bring all our hostages home.”

Written by KAN 11 correspondents Omer Shahar, Gili Cohen and Suleiman Maswadeh.