Hamas has agreed to release Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza for over a year, but the White House and Israel are skeptical of the proposal’s viability. The offer comes amid ongoing tensions between the two sides, with Hamas demanding that Israel release Palestinian prisoners and restore aid to Gaza.
According to a senior Hamas official, the group is willing to discuss the number and identities of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Alexander’s release, as well as the remains of four other American Israeli hostages. However, both the White House and Israel have expressed doubts about Hamas’ intentions, accusing the group of “manipulations” and “psychological warfare”.
The US administration has repeatedly called for Alexander’s freedom, with President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff presenting a new cease-fire proposal to Hamas on Wednesday night. The proposal aims to extend the ongoing truce and secure the release of more hostages held in Gaza.
However, mediators had hoped that Israel and Hamas would have agreed by now on the next steps in the Gaza cease-fire. The second phase is supposed to see a comprehensive end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of the remaining living hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
The Trump administration’s direct meetings with Hamas have sidestepped traditional US policy of isolating the group through refusing to talk to it directly. However, these talks have yet to produce results, with Marco Rubio describing them as a “one-off” that had yet to yield any concrete outcomes.
Hamas’s latest offer is similar to what President Trump’s envoy Adam Boehler proposed last week in Doha, which included a plan to jump-start negotiations for the second phase and bring home the remaining hostages. However, the Israeli government has rejected this proposal, arguing that Hamas’ demands are “entirely impractical” without a permanent cease-fire.
The situation remains volatile, with up to 24 living hostages and the bodies of over 30 others still held in Gaza. Relatives of Israeli hostages have called for a single agreement that frees all the remaining captives at once, warning that if Israel does not move faster, its citizens may be “abandoned”.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-hostage-edan-alexander.html