The offer to release the American hostage appears to be an effort to pressure Israel into starting discussions over a second phase to the ceasefire in Gaza.

Hamas said it has accepted a proposal from mediators to release one living American-Israeli hostage and the bodies of four dual-national hostages who died in captivity. The militant group did not immediately specify when the release of soldier Edan Alexander and the four bodies would occur,

Of them, 59 remain hostages — including 24 younger men who are all thought to remain alive. Two other living American hostages, Keith Siegel and Sagui Dekel-Chen, were released in the first phase of a ceasefire that began in January following pressure from Trump as he took office.