US special envoy Adam Boehler said: “It’s a positive step forward and we would also ask that Hamas release the bodies of four other Americans that were taken.”
A State Department spokesperson said Hamas bore sole responsibility for the war as well as for the resumption of hostilities.
The US had previously held discussions with the Palestinian militant group on securing the release of US hostages held in Gaza.
Israeli media reported on Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had told a closed session of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Hamas could soon release Alexander, an American-Israeli hostage, as a goodwill gesture towards Trump, who will visit the Middle East this week.
The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports.
Israel launched its campaign in Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas attack on Oct 7, 2023 that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, and saw 251 taken hostage into Gaza in the deadliest day for Israel in its history.
The campaign has killed more than 52,800 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, and has devastated the Gaza Strip, leaving its 2.3 million population depending on aid supplies that have been dwindling rapidly since the blockade.
