US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the upcoming release of an Israeli-American hostage from the besieged Gaza Strip was a “goodwill gesture” towards the US and regional mediators, suggesting it could be the first of the “final steps” needed to end the war in Gaza, Anadolu reported.
“I am happy to announce that Edan Alexander, a US citizen who has been held hostage since October 2023, is returning home to his family. I am grateful to everyone who contributed to this monumental event,” Trump said in a social media post, using an alternative spelling of the name Idan Alexander.
“This was a goodwill gesture towards the US and the efforts of the mediators, Qatar and Egypt, to end this very brutal war and to return all the living hostages and remains to their loved ones. I hope this is the first of the final steps needed to end this brutal conflict. I look forward to that day of celebration,” he added.
Hamas announced earlier Sunday that it would release Alexander as part of ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.
Alexander, a soldier who served in an elite infantry unit on the Gaza border, is believed to be the last surviving American hostage in the Gaza Strip.
His release, Hamas said, is part of a series of steps aimed at achieving a ceasefire, reopening border crossings and allowing humanitarian aid and relief to reach the Gaza population.
Hamas also expressed readiness for immediate and intensive negotiations aimed at reaching a final ceasefire agreement, a prisoner exchange and the formation of an independent professional body to govern Gaza.
The group says such a framework would help ensure long-term peace and stability, along with the restoration and lifting of the Israeli blockade.
Hamas praised the mediation efforts of Qatar, Egypt and Turkey.
Israel estimates that 59 hostages are still being held in Gaza, 21 of whom are believed to be alive. Meanwhile, more than 9,900 Palestinians are being held in Israel, where human rights groups have reported widespread torture, starvation and medical neglect, leading to several deaths.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the US had informed Israel of Hamas’s intention to release Alexander as a goodwill gesture towards Washington, “without any conditions or exchanges.”
The statement said the move was expected to lead to negotiations on the release of additional hostages based on an original proposal by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, which Israel had previously approved.
More than 52,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli offensive since October 2023, the majority of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide charge before the International Court of Justice over its war on the Gaza Strip.
