The agreement to release Edan Alexander came after talks between Washington and Hamas that did not include Israel.

Both Al Jazeera and Reuters are reporting that Hamas and the US are directly discussing a ceasefire and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

A senior Hamas official tells Newsweek that the Palestinian militant group saw "positive" potential in signs of a growing rift between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after offering the U.S. leader a political win in the form of an American hostage release ahead of his Middle East trip.

Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip US President Donald Trump’s Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff held direct talks with Hamas leaders in Qatar on Wednesday, sources told The National. The meeting was a first between the real estate magnate and representatives of the militant Palestinian group,

Despite American pressure, Israel sticks to rigid terms as deadly airstrikes continue across Gaza during Trump’s Middle East visit - Anadolu Ajansı

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that a major new offensive aimed at defeating Hamas will be launched in the coming days. Speaking to Israeli reservists injured during the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip,

An Israeli hospital official said Tuesday that the condition of released American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander “appears stable overall" after being held in captivity in Gaza for more than 19 months.