Hamas says it will release American-Israeli hostage as part of ceasefire efforts

Hamas has said it will release Edan Alexander, an Israeli soldier who holds American citizenship.

The group announced on Sunday that the 21-year-old, who is believed to be the last living American hostage in Gaza, will be released as part of ongoing efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire with Israel.

It did not give an exact date of when the release will happen. However, a source familiar with the matter told the news agency Reuters, it is expected to happen on Tuesday.

The group said in a statement: "Hamas has been in contact with the US administration over the past few days.

"The movement has expressed a high degree of positivity, and the release of Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, a dual US citizen, will be part of the steps being taken to achieve a ceasefire, open the crossings, and allow aid and relief to reach our people in the Gaza Strip."

Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, confirmed to Sky News' US partner network NBC News, that he is travelling to Israel to secure Mr Alexander's release.

"We are picking him up probably tomorrow," Mr Witkoff said. "There was a long negotiation with lots of people to thank."

He went on to describe the move as a "gesture of good will" which he said is in "large part" because of President Donald Trump.

US special envoy Adam Boehler described the announcement as a "positive step forward" adding that the US would encourage Hamas to also "release the bodies of four other Americans that were taken".

The announcement was made hours after a senior Palestinian official told Reuters that the US administration were involved in wider talks with Hamas alongside Egypt and Qatar in a "pursuit of an agreement".

Mr Trump is also expected to travel to the Middle East later this week, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The four-day trip is expected to focus heavily on business deals and new investments.

Mr Alexander, who is from the US state of New Jersey, was 19 when he was taken from his base on the border with Gaza in southern Israel during the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023.

Around 59 hostages are still inside Gaza, around a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.