Witkoff indicates US wants Hamas to release American-Israeli hostage as show of goodwill

US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff indicates that the Trump administration wants Hamas to release American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander as a demonstration of goodwill.

“Edan Alexander is very important to us — as all the hostages are — but Edan Alexander is an American, and he’s injured, so he’s a top priority for us,” Witkoff tells reporters during a gaggle outside the White House.

He appears to confirm that Alexander’s release was a topic of conversation in the direct talks that US hostage envoy Adam Boehler held with Hamas, which were leaked to the media yesterday.

“Adam Boehler is the special envoy in charge of hostages, and he’s had conversations. We feel that Hamas has not been forthright with us, and it’s time for them to be forthright with us,” Witkoff says. “Edan Alexander would be a very important show. We’ll see how [Hamas is] going to react.”

“The president has issued a statement about what’s acceptable to him and what’s not. Hopefully, we’ll see some good conduct next week, and I’ll be able to go in there and have discussions,” the US envoy says.

Pressed about concerns from some hostage families that the talks surrounding Alexander’s release means the US is prioritizing the release of Americans over other hostages, Witkoff asserts that the president cares equally about all hostages.

He points out that the vast majority of released hostages who met with Trump yesterday were not Americans. “All lives matter to him, And he was focused on all lives.”

“We want Edan back, but we want everybody back,” he says, noting that there are roughly two dozen hostages who are believed to still be alive and that the US wants all of the bodies back, too.