() President Donald Trump and the first lady will host freed American hostage Edan Alexander at the White House on Thursday.
Alexander, the last living American hostage in Gaza, will visit Washington, D.C., two months after his release as Hamas considers a proposed 60-day ceasefire with Israel.
Alexander, now 21, is an American-Israeli from New Jersey. He was 19 when militants stormed his military base in Israel and took him into the Gaza Strip. After 584 days in captivity, Alexander was released. He returned to New Jersey last month.
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Edan Alexander was reunited with family after being released by Hamas. (Israel Defense Forces) -
Edan Alexander was reunited with family after being released by Hamas. (Israeli Defense Forces) -
People watch a live broadcast of Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander as he is released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, at a plaza known as the hostages square in Tel Aviv on May 12, 2025. Alexander was abducted during the Hamas-led attack on his base on Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Hamas weighs 60-day ceasefire with Israel
Trump said Israel has already accepted the ceasefire deal, which he called the “final” peace proposal.
“I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” Trump wrote Tuesday on social media.
While Hamas has given indications they are prepared to strike a deal on a ceasefire if Israel ends the war, the world is waiting for a formal answer.
Netanyahu to visit White House next week
Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, D.C., next week for talks about the wars in Gaza and Iran, Netanyahu confirmed during a government speech Tuesday.
“I am due to leave next week for meetings in the U.S. with U.S. President Donald Trump,” Netanyahu said, originally in Hebrew. “These come in the wake of the great victory that we achieved in Operation Rising Lion.”
Netanyahu’s visit comes after Trump involved the U.S. in the Israel-Iran conflict with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, then helped broker a ceasefire between the two Middle Eastern countries.
‘s Anna Kutz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
