A latest update from Jerusalem reveals that Hamas has officially agreed to release one American-Israeli hostage still alive, and the remains of four dual-nationals who had died while held captive. The development comes as negotiations in Qatar aim to determine the next stage for the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. It’s unclear when the release of soldier Edan Alexander and the bodies will take place, as has been stated by the militant group based in the Gaza Strip, and other countries involved in the agreement have not yet confirmed this information.
Alexander was only 19 when he was captured from his base in southern Israel in October 2023 during the Hamas assault, which sparked the ongoing conflict. It remains uncertain who was involved in the negotiations for this release. The United States, under the guidance of Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy for hostage affairs, has been advocating for an extended ceasefire with limited hostage for prisoner exchanges.
Following Hamas’s announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held security consultations with his senior advisors, according to a source who remained anonymous. The initial phase of the ceasefire concluded two weeks ago.
The White House has made an unexpected move by confirming that American officials have been in talks with Hamas, a departure from the U.S. policy of not engaging directly with the militant group. It is not yet clear if these talks are connected to the announcement from Hamas on the release of the hostage.
Hamas official Husam Badran confirmed the organization’s commitment to fully implementing the ceasefire agreement across all its phases. He cautioned that any deviance by Israel from the agreement’s terms could reset the negotiations to their starting point.
The ceasefire has halted the violent confrontation between Israel and Hamas, marking the deadliest and most damaging conflict in their history. The first phase allowed for the return of 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel has been urging Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for extending the first phase of the truce and a pledge to negotiate a lasting peace. It is believed that Hamas is currently holding 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others.
Two weeks ago, Israel stopped all supplies to Gaza, including to its population of over two million, as part of its efforts to get Hamas to agree to the terms. Israel claims that this move could also affect the remaining hostages.
Hamas is seeking to initiate talks on the second, more contentious phase of the ceasefire that would involve releasing the remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and establishing a lasting peaceful resolution.
The restriction of supplies to Gaza has left about 80% of the population without access to food sources, with markets running out of stock. Meanwhile, 90% lack access to clean drinking water.
In Jerusalem, some 80,000 Muslim worshippers gathered at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound for the second Friday of Ramadan. Strict controls by Israel limit the attendance to men over 55 and women over 50 from the occupied territories.
Palestinians are facing extremely difficult conditions, expressed Yousef Badeen, a pilgrim who traveled from Hebron in the southern West Bank to reach Jerusalem. He hopes that access will be fully restored.
Hamas has also accused Israel of waging a “religious war” against Palestinians, citing restricted access to Al-Aqsa mosque as evidence of the “systematic targeting of Muslim religious practices.”
Source: https://time.com/7268195/hamas-agrees-to-release-us-israeli-hostage-four-bodies-dual-nationals/
