JERUSALEM -- Hamas said it's willing to release all U.S.-Israeli hostages, including one still alive, in a surprise move dismissed by both Israel and the U.S. as unhelpful to negotiation efforts to end the war.
The Palestinian militant group said it had agreed to free Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, a U.S. citizen, as well as the bodies of four other dual nationals, according to a statement on Friday. Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi later confirmed the deceased are also Israeli-Americans.
Hamas said the offer is in response to a proposal from mediators seeking to end the 17-month conflict between the group and Israel -- made up of Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. "The movement affirms its complete readiness to begin negotiations" on a ceasefire, Hamas said.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff responded that while Washington has made clear to Hamas, via Qatar and Egypt, that Alexander should be released immediately, the statement by the Islamist group represents a "very bad bet."
"Hamas has chosen to respond by publicly claiming flexibility while privately making demands that are entirely impractical without a permanent ceasefire," Witkoff's office said in a statement. "Hamas is making a very bad bet that time is on its side. It is not."
A senior Israeli official, who asked not to be identified, said the move was really intended to sabotage negotiations and drive a wedge between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and the U.S., its chief ally. Hamas, which still holds about 60 hostages taken during the October 2023 attacks that triggered the war, hasn't genuinely changed its position, the official said.
The development comes almost two weeks after an initial Israel-Hamas truce period came to an end, without an agreement on whether or how it should be extended. That's left the conflict in limbo, with Hamas still holding the hostages, of which Israel believes about 25 are alive. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Hamas there will be "hell to pay" if they aren't freed.
The U.S. said it has presented a "bridge" proposal that would extend the initial truce period beyond the Ramadan and Passover holidays -- into April -- and see Hamas release living hostages in exchange for prisoners. That would enable more humanitarian assistance to enter war-ravaged Gaza and work to continue on a durable halt to fighting.
Netanyahu's office said in a statement that Hamas is engaging "in manipulation and psychological warfare."
There would likely be anger in Israel if there was a perception that American hostages -- even ones with dual Israeli citizenship -- were prioritized over others.
Trump's administration has said it would not seek a deal favoring Alexander over the other hostages. An American official recently held direct talks with Hamas -- designated a terrorist organization by Washington and many other countries -- a move that angered Israel, and Washington has since signaled there won't be any more direct negotiations.
Witkoff was in Qatar this week to meet other mediators and Israeli negotiators. The U.S. is aiming to get all the remaining hostages released from Gaza and ensure the ceasefire that began in January does not collapse.
Netanyahu's office said the leader will convene a ministerial team on Saturday to discuss a report from the government's negotiators, according to the statement, and decide on the next steps for the release of the hostages.
Israel remains committed to the country's war goal of destroying Hamas both as a governing and military entity, while the Islamist group wants Israel to withdraw completely from Gaza.
(With assistance from Fares Akram and Galit Altstein.)
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