A woman holding a poster with a portrait written on it, Hamas has taken Israeli hostages in Gaza since October 2023, including several ports, including two (c) occupants Edan Alexander, who was waiting for his release on May 12, 2025 in the hostage square in Tel Aviv. Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images Closed subtitles
Tel Aviv, Israel - Hamas is expected to release Israel - U.S. hostage Edan Alexander on Monday, part of what militant groups say is a step to reaching a ceasefire deal with Israel.
Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli soldier who grew up in New Jersey, was the last American citizen captured by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and was held in Gaza and is believed to be still alive. According to the United States, the bodies of four other Americans are still in Gaza.
President Trump Posted On his social media platform, the release was a “step taken sincerely” to end the war.
Hamas said in a statement that it has held talks with the United States over the past few days. The militant group said the release would be a ceasefire effort to open up the border crossings in Gaza and bring aid to Gaza. Israel has blocked all aid, including food and medical supplies for more than 10 weeks, to oppress Hamas to release more hostages. Humanitarian groups say this is driving the rampant hunger on the territory.
Hamas officials spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, and he told NPR that the release was in return for the unspecified gesture promised by the U.S.
The official hinted that Israel is expected to release some Palestinian prisoners and secure some aid to Gaza, and hopes that the United States will engage in a broader agreement with Israel to ensure the war is over.
"The ball is now in the courts of the United States and Israel. We give Americans what they want. They need to get the other party to give things, too."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Monday that Alexander's return "has no return" thanks to President Trump's diplomacy and Israeli military pressure in Gaza.
The statement said Israel has not yet agreed to a ceasefire in exchange for Alexander's release.
In the so-called hostage square in the center of Tel Aviv, dozens of Israelis stood in front of a large TV screen, photos of Alexander awaiting his release. Supporters held signs, among which photos of other Israeli hostages are still being held in Gaza. A woman in a bright yellow trousers suit holding an English sign saying "We believe in you".
Hostage supporters expressed frustration that the Israeli leader had not achieved his freedom, while the United States reached a deal with Hamas to free U.S. citizens.
"Trump has done a great job in maintaining and continuing to restore these hostages, and I'm not sure what the administration is doing to ensure the release of the hostages," said Maya Weinrich, a 27-year-old medical student.
In Gaza City, Palestinian resident Awni Abu Kumail said he understands why Hamas agreed to release Alexander.
"Hamas wants to prove to the United States that this is not the one who lifts the ceasefire negotiations," Abu Kumar said.
“Trump shows Israel that the United States is stronger,” said Gaza resident Ahmed Abu Hadid. “Without the United States, there will never be any solution.”
Alexander's release emerged when Trump led a visit to the Gulf during his first overseas trip in his second semester on Monday. He is not expected to visit Israel but is expected to discuss the future of Gaza with Arab leaders.
The Us-Hamas deal is the latest in a series of major decisions Trump has made in the Middle East as he evades Israeli leadership. These moves include nuclear negotiations with Iran, a truce with Yemen’s Husseus, which cannot guarantee the end of the Houthi missile attack on Israel, and a US conversation with a Saudi Arabian civilian nuclear program that will not establish diplomatic ties with Israel in Saudi Arabia.
Earlier this year, both Hamas and the United States confirmed that the two parties began direct negotiations as early as January - amid a major shift in U.S. policy, as the United States designated it as a terrorist organization in 1997, a long-standing U.S. policy. It no longer negotiates with a terrorist organization in the United States, so it is designated as a terrorist.
Qatar and Egypt - Two countries that played a key role in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas throughout the war, as well as the United States' joint announcement, welcomed the Alexander release, calling it an "encouraging step" to the Gaza ceasefire in Gaza, Gaza.
According to Israel, Gaza, including Alexander, still has 59 hostages, more than half of which are believed to be dead. Hamas released 38 hostages in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees that Israel continues to trade, and the agreement began on January 19.
Since then, Israel has controlled about one-third of Gaza’s territory and has created a complete blockade on all aid, including food and fuel, while continuing to carry out deadly and destructive air movement. Earlier this month, it said it planned to expand its offense there.
Gaza health authorities said that Israeli attacks on the territory have killed more than 52,000 Palestinians since the war began in October 2023. Israel died in a Hamas-led attack that month, with about 1,200 people killed and about 250 hostages.
Daniel Estrin, Itay Stern and Carrie Kahn contributed to Tel Aviv, Anas Baba in Gaza City and Abu Bakr Bashir in London.