Hamas said Friday it agreed to release U.S.-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander and the bodies of four other Americans, following a proposal from mediators to resume

Hamas announced the start of a new round of ceasefire negotiations with Israel on Tuesday evening, expressing optimism that the talks could lead to “tangible progress” toward the second phase of discussions. Senior Hamas official Abdel Rahman Shadid made these remarks in a statement published on the movement’s official digital platforms.