Hamas has said it will release a US-Israeli hostage held in Gaza as the group revealed it was engaged in direct talks with the United States towards a ceasefire in the territory, AFP reports.
“Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, a dual US national, will be released as part of efforts towards a ceasefire” and the reopening of aid crossings, Hamas said in a statement.
The family of 21-year-old Alexander said they had been informed that he might be released “in the coming days”.
US President Donald Trump hailed the “monumental news” in a post on social media, describing it as a “good faith gesture”.
“Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict,” he added.
-Israel says recognition of a Palestinian state will force ‘unilateral actions’ in response
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has said that unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state would force Israel to take “unilateral actions”, following announcements by several countries, including France, that they plan to take such a step, AFP reports.
“There have been talks about an initiative to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state… any attempt to do so unilaterally will only harm future prospects for a bilateral process and will push us for unilateral actions in response,” Saar said at a press conference in Jerusalem.
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