Hamas agrees to release one American hostage and four hostage bodies

On March 14, 2025, Palestinian armed group Hamas announced on Friday that they have agreed to release one surviving American hostage and four bodies of hostages. This decision came after a proposal for the second phase of ceasefire negotiations was put forward by a Gaza war mediator the day before.

In a statement, Hamas expressed a “positive” response to the proposal to resume negotiations made on Thursday. The statement mentioned that the organization will also release the bodies of four other dual-nationality hostages, without disclosing further details.

Hamas did not immediately specify when the hostages would be released.

Two Hamas officials informed Reuters that they agreed to release the American hostage and the four bodies, with the condition that negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement begin, the Gaza crossing points be reopened, and the comprehensive blockade imposed by Israel two weeks ago be lifted. Israel did not offer an immediate comment on this.

The American hostage set to be released holds dual citizenship of the United States and Israel. It is believed that he is the last surviving American hostage being held in Gaza.

Hamas leader and negotiator of the American hostage, Adam Boehler, has recently engaged in discussions seeking the release of Edan Alexander, a former Israeli army soldier from New Jersey, United States.

President Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, stated at the White House in early March that the release of the 21-year-old Alexander was a “top priority.”

The United States has been advocating for a proposal to extend the ceasefire period and continue the limited release of hostages.

Following Hamas’ statement, Netanyahu’s office stated that Israel accepts the framework proposed by Witkoff and has shown flexibility, but mentioned that “Hamas is refusing.”

“Meanwhile, Hamas continues to employ manipulation and psychological tactics – reports about Hamas being willing to release the American hostage are aimed at disrupting the negotiations,” said the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.

On January 19, the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas came into effect. During this period, Hamas exchanged 33 Israeli hostages and 5 Thai hostages for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli custody.

However, when the first phase of the ceasefire agreement ended on March 2, both sides failed to agree on the start of the second phase. Israel proposed extending the first phase, while Hamas indicated that hostage releases would only resume in the second phase. In the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, Israel must discuss withdrawal and the permanent cessation of hostilities, which are the main demands of Hamas.

As tensions escalated, Israel blocked all supply trucks from entering Gaza on March 2, while Hamas called for intervention by Egypt and Qatar mediators.

The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have been working tirelessly to bridge the gap between Hamas and Israel, restart second-phase negotiations, in order to release the remaining hostages in Gaza and lift the blockade.

(This article has been compiled with reference to reports from Reuters and AP)