• Hamas also said that it agreed to release Edan Alexander, an Israeli American hostage
• Militant group will also release the bodies of four other hostages

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Hamas on Friday said it is ready to free an Israeli-American hostage and the remains of four other dual nationals, after the Palestinian militants and Israel gathered for indirect Gaza ceasefire talks.

The first phase of a truce between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip ended on March 1, without agreement on the next stages. A senior Hamas official on Tuesday said a fresh round of talks had begun in the Qatari capital Doha. Israel had also sent a team of negotiators.

“Yesterday, a Hamas leadership delegation received a proposal from the brotherly mediators to resume negotiations,” the Islamist movement said in a statement.

It added that its reply “included its agreement to release the Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, who holds American citizenship, along with the remains of four others holding dual citizenship.”

During the initial six-week phase of the ceasefire, militants released 33 hostages, including eight who were deceased, in exchange for about 1,800 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.

AFP