Hamas confirms it will release Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander on Monday
The Israeli army is set to establish a safe corridor in Gaza along with a temporary ceasefire for the release of Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage in the enclave, according to Israeli media on Monday.
The Israeli public broadcaster KAN said the army will cease its airstrikes in Gaza and establish a safe corridor effective at 12 p.m. local time (0900 GMT) for the Israeli-American soldier's release.
Israeli Channel 12 also reported that Israeli forces operating in Gaza were notified of a ceasefire for Alexander's release, which is set to begin at 12 p.m. local time (0900 GMT).
The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, confirmed that it will release Alexander on Monday.
"The Qassam Brigades decided to release Zionist soldier Edan Alexander, who holds US citizenship, today (Monday), May 12, 2025," spokesman Abu Obaida said in a brief statement.
According to an Anadolu reporter, Israeli warplanes were absent from Gaza skies on Monday, with no reports of airstrikes or artillery shelling in the territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said earlier that Israel made no further promises for a ceasefire or the release of Palestinian prisoners from its jails in exchange for Alexander.
In a statement, Netanyahu's office claimed that military pressure brought Hamas to accept the soldier's release. Hamas said that Alexander's release followed talks with the US administration.
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Hamas' forthcoming release of the soldier marks a "step taken in good faith" towards the US and regional mediators, signaling that it might be the first of the "final steps" needed to end Israel's war.
Alexander, a soldier who was serving in an elite infantry unit on the Gaza border, is known to be the last remaining American hostage in Gaza who is still alive.
According to Hamas, the soldier's release would be among several steps aimed at facilitating a ceasefire, reopening border crossings, and allowing humanitarian aid and relief supplies into the Gaza Strip.
The anticipated release comes ahead of Trump's scheduled tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from Tuesday through Friday. The itinerary does not include a visit to Israel.
The trip comes amid reports of rising tensions between Trump and Netanyahu, including allegations that Trump has cut off direct communication over suspicions that the Israeli premier is manipulating the US administration.
More than 52,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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