In a rare development underscoring ongoing international pressure, the al-Qassam Brigades have released an Israeli-American soldier, Edan Alexander, citing humanitarian grounds and openness to serious negotiations. The move comes amid mediation efforts led by the United States to bring an end to the relentless Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian resistance groups described the release as a sign of good faith and a response to growing international calls for de-escalation. For over seven months, Gaza has endured an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, with thousands of lives lost and entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble. Amid this devastation, Palestinian leaders have reiterated their readiness to engage in meaningful talks—provided they include a full ceasefire, the withdrawal of occupying forces, and the lifting of the siege suffocating more than two million people.

Resistance factions have also insisted on a just prisoner exchange and the immediate reconstruction of Gaza, where hospitals, schools and shelters lie in ruins. They called on the Biden administration to take a decisive stance, rather than merely managing the crisis, and to end what Palestinians view as Washington’s complicity in Israel’s war on civilians.

As the people of Gaza continue to endure unbearable hardship, the message is clear: only a genuine commitment to justice, not temporary gestures, can pave the way for peace.