The agreement to release Edan Alexander came after talks between Washington and Hamas that did not include Israel.

A senior Hamas official tells Newsweek that the Palestinian militant group saw "positive" potential in signs of a growing rift between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after offering the U.S. leader a political win in the form of an American hostage release ahead of his Middle East trip.

The Israel Defense Forces, announcing the Tuesday Gaza attack, claimed a Hamas command and control center was located beneath the hospital. Israeli media, citing military sources, reported the strike targeted Mohammed Sinwar, brother of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed last October.

Hamas released Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old New Jersey-born IDF soldier who was captured during the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel. Alexander was handed over to the Red Cross, which transferred him to the Israeli military.

Both Al Jazeera and Reuters are reporting that Hamas and the US are directly discussing a ceasefire and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.