Hamas offers last American-Israeli hostage for ceasefire agreement

• Hamas has offered to release the last American-Israeli hostage, Edan Alexander, if Israel implements the original ceasefire agreement. The second stage of the ceasefire plan was never implemented due to disagreements between both sides.
• For Alexander’s release, Hamas demands the resumption of ceasefire talks, the allowance of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the withdrawal of Israeli Defense Forces from a strategic corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt. Israel has not yet responded to this new deal.
• As ceasefire disagreements continue, aid has stopped entering Gaza, leaving millions without essential supplies during Ramadan.

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Hamas said it would release the last American-Israeli hostage in Gaza if Israel implemented the original ceasefire agreement it signed with Hamas. The second stage of the multi-stage ceasefire plan was never implemented after both sides couldn’t agree to terms. 

Who is the American-Israeli hostage?

Hamas militants abducted Edan Alexander, 21, from a military base during the attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Alexander is the last living U.S. citizen still being held by Hamas.

Israeli officials said Hamas still has 59 hostages in Gaza, at least 25 are believed to be dead. The hostages were abducted from several areas in Israel, including a music festival that was going on at the same time as the attacks. 

What does Hamas want?

For Alexander’s release, Hamas said the delayed talks over the second phase of the ceasefire talks would need to begin the day he’s released and last only 50 days. Israel would also need to stop barring humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. Israel has stopped allowing food, water and other essential aid from entering Gaza in an effort to force Hamas to release more hostages. 

Besides restarting talks and allowing aid, the Israeli Defense Forces would also have to withdraw from a strategic corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt.

What has Israel said?

Israel hasn’t responded to the new offer.

The IDF has also carried out several airstrikes that killed nine Palestinians. The Palestinian Journalists’ Protection Center, a local watchdog, claimed at least three Palestinian journalists were killed in the attack. 

Palestinian officials identified one of the victims as Mahmoud Islim, who was operating a drone.

The IDF said it struck two people operating a drone that they claimed posed a threat to soldiers. The second strike was against a group of people who came to collect the drone. Officials identified all killed as suspected militants. 

Israeli officials have also claimed that Hamas is acting one way in public while acting another way in private. They claimed Hamas was acting flexible in public but making “entirely impractical” demands in private.

What happens next? 

Both sides have yet to come to terms. Israel had originally agreed to the three-phase ceasefire deal but has since pulled back. They claimed to have agreed to a new ceasefire deal approved by the Trump administration, that would see all hostages released without the need to withdraw troops. 

Hamas has said it would not agree to any deal unless the IDF pulled all of its troops from Gaza. As the ceasefire disagreements continue, aid has stopped coming into Gaza, leaving millions without food, water or power during the holy month of Ramadan.