The U.S. is considering flying freed Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander and his family to Qatar aboard a plane with U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Ynet learned on Monday. The plan hinges on Alexander's expected release from Hamas captivity, which is reportedly planned for noon. Trump is not expected to travel to meet Alexander in person.
The IDF is preparing for Alexander’s release starting Monday afternoon and is expected to facilitate a secure transfer from Gaza to Israeli territory. The handover is likely to follow the model of previous hostage releases, with Alexander being brought to a designated reception point. Israeli forces operating in Gaza have been instructed to observe a ceasefire beginning in the afternoon.
A Hamas official told Saudi outlet Al-Sharq that the terror group would transfer Alexander to the Red Cross but only if Israel guarantees safe passage.
“Alexander will be released today or tomorrow, depending on conditions on the ground,” the official said. “We’ve demanded that all fighting in Gaza stop during the transfer. It will take place without public or military ceremonies.”
An Israeli official said the military is on standby from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for Alexander’s release but has no specific information about the timing or location. “We’ve completed preparations to receive him according to hostage protocols,” the official said.
“Contact has already been established with the Red Cross, which will pick him up and deliver him to the IDF. From there he’ll be taken to Re’im, reunited with his family and flown to a hospital for examination,” he added.
“There will be a quiet and secure corridor for the release,” the official said. “We see his release as an opening for negotiations on the Witkoff framework. The talks began with Edan. Once Hamas agreed to release him without conditions or compensation, we welcomed the move and began preparing for further negotiations.
“If all goes smoothly, we’ll be ready to send a delegation anywhere. This is the first stage of a deal. In previous cases, Alexander’s release was the first part of prisoner and missing persons exchanges based on U.S. demands.”
On Sunday, U.S. envoy Adam Boehler told Reuters that Hamas’ announcement of Alexander’s impending release was a “positive step,” and called on the group to also return the bodies of four other American citizens.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
However, the Israeli official noted that Jerusalem is not currently aware of any arrangement involving the return of remains. He said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke several times overnight with Witkoff, focusing solely on Alexander’s release.
When asked why Hamas agreed to the release, the Israeli official said, “It’s quite clear this was their last card to try to halt the IDF’s operation in Gaza and delay it as quickly as possible, while also trying to secure some form of American protection against the major Israeli offensive. There’s a direct connection between the military pressure, the mobilization of tens of thousands of reservists and Hamas’ sudden willingness to release Edan unconditionally.”
Hamas video showing hostage Edan Alexander
As for future negotiations, the official said Israel hopes to begin meaningful talks aimed at releasing all hostages. “Our demand is for half of the hostages to be released immediately — not in phases. The rest would follow through negotiations" the official said.
“It’s impossible to predict the exact outcome but it’s clear this is Hamas’ attempt to stop us from taking full control of Gaza and ending their rule. They understood the threat and played their last card, which they knew would serve both American and Hamas interests in halting the offensive,” he added.
Meanwhile, Alexander’s mother is en route to Israel with Boehler, who posted a photo of the two on a plane. She is expected to meet with Witkoff upon arrival.