In a dramatic turn, Hamas declared Friday it will release Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old New Jersey man snatched during its savage October 7, 2023, assault on Israel, alongside the remains of four slain dual-citizen hostages.
The pledge marks a potential breakthrough in the 15-month Middle East conflict sparked by that bloody day.
Alexander, the last living American captive from Hamas’ 2023 rampage, has endured 525 days in the terrorists’ grip. Dual U.S.-Israeli citizen and former Tenafly resident, he was nabbed while serving in the Israeli Defense Forces near Gaza. Hamas’ statement, per the Times of Israel, signals “complete readiness to initiate negotiations” for a broader deal, though it demands Israel honor its end of the bargain.
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Details on Alexander’s release timeline remain murky as talks simmer in Qatar under a fragile ceasefire.
The group also committed to returning four unidentified dual nationals’ bodies, part of a phased prisoner swap with Israel.
The announcement lands hot on the heels of President Donald Trump’s March 5 ultimatum, where he growled a “last warning” to Hamas: free all hostages—living and dead—or face dire consequences.
“It’ll be over for them,” Trump thundered, amplifying pressure as his administration leans hard into ending the saga.
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Hamas’ move hints at a shift, but the clock’s ticking. With negotiations teetering and 1,200 Israelis killed in the initial attack—not to mention over 48,000 Palestinian deaths in Israel’s counteroffensive, per Gaza officials—the stakes couldn’t be higher.
For Alexander’s family and a watching world, every moment now is a test of hope against a backdrop of war-weary uncertainty.
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