After months of stalling, Hamas has finally agreed to release Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage held in Gaza. The 21-year-old New Jersey native, who was abducted during Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, is set to be freed alongside the bodies of four other dual-national hostages who died in captivity.
This so-called “release” is just another sick display of Hamas’ cruelty. Instead of freeing the remaining innocent captives immediately, they continue to drag out negotiations, using human lives as bargaining chips while the Biden-era establishment looks the other way.
But make no mistake—this only happened because President Donald Trump made it happen. His administration has made securing Alexander’s release a top priority, with special envoy Steve Witkoff calling it a “non-negotiable demand.” Unlike the weak, groveling foreign policy of the past, Trump’s team has shown Hamas that America doesn’t tolerate terror, nor will it allow Americans to be held hostage indefinitely.
For weeks, Trump’s hostage negotiator, Adam Boehler, has been in direct talks aimed at getting Alexander home. This follows an astonishing admission by the White House that U.S. officials had been engaging in secret discussions with Hamas—yes, the same terrorist group responsible for the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the worst attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust. The U.S. doesn’t negotiate with terrorists—or at least, it never used to. Under previous administrations, that policy was crystal clear, but now we have a White House more concerned with “diplomatic optics” than with securing the safety of American citizens.
It remains unclear what, if any, concessions were made in exchange for Alexander’s release. The timing of Hamas’ announcement suggests it may be tied to ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, where the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar are working to extend the pause in hostilities. Israel, meanwhile, has been holding firm, blocking additional aid trucks from entering Gaza until Hamas agrees to meaningful progress. This isn’t just about hostages—this is about breaking Hamas’ grip of terror over the region.
So far, Hamas has secured a lopsided deal, trading 33 Israeli hostages and five Thai captives for the release of 2,000 Palestinian prisoners—many of whom were jailed for violent offenses. These aren’t “prisoners of war”; these are hardened terrorists, now free to return to their mission of erasing Israel from the map. Meanwhile, Hamas continues to play games, drip-feeding hostages out of captivity in exchange for more leverage at the negotiating table.
President Trump has proven he’s the only leader strong enough to put America first and force Hamas to act. But the bigger question is: will Israel and the world finally put an end to Hamas’ reign of terror, or will the cycle continue as more innocent lives hang in the balance?
