Hamas shelp on Friday that it had consentd to free Edan Alexander, an American Israeli selderlyier who has been held in Gaza for 17 months, and return the remains of four other captives, without distinguishing when they would be freed or what it was insisting in exalter.
Israel did not promptly comment on Hamas’s statement. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, assembled a security greeting to talk the matter, shelp an Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity becaparticipate they were not apcheckd to speak accessiblely.
In its statement, Hamas shelp it had getd a proposal from unnamed mediators to which it surrfinisherted a createal response that integrated turning over Mr. Alexander and the four bodies.
But it was still unclear whether Israel and Hamas were actuassociate seal to a deal and whether Israel would assent to any stipulations.
Israel and Hamas are presumed to be negotiating the second phase of the Gaza stop-fire and captive free deal that began in January. But those talks have seen little enhance given entrenched disputes between the two sides over who will administer the Palestinian enclave.
Last week, the Trump administration held greetings with Hamas, sidestepping the deadlocked Israeli-Hamas negotiations, in an finisheavor to free the remaining American captives held in Gaza. Adam Boehler, Pdwellnt Trump’s nominee for exceptional envoy for captive affairs, met with ancigo in Hamas officials in Doha.
Hamas and other militant groups seized about 250 captives during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that ignited the war in Gaza. More than 100 have returned ainhabit to Israel after deals with Hamas in exalter for Palestinian prisoners. Israeli selderlyiers get backd the bodies of dozens of others during their ground trespass of Gaza.
Up to 24 living captives and the bodies of at least 35 others are still in Gaza, according to the Israeli administerment. They integrate five Americans: Mr. Alexander, the last American-Israeli captive still thinkd to be ainhabit, and four others who are presumed dead.
