The United States delivered a message to Hamas via Qatari intermediaries in an effort to bring about the release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander from Gaza captivity, Axios reported on Thursday evening, citing a US and Israeli official.
"There is no deal yet," the US official said, while the Israeli official noted the proposal was "more an idea that isn't fully clear or fully developed."
According to the report, the official further noted that Qatar had transmitted the message to Hamas as a token to US President Donald Trump.
According to a Channel 12 report from early March, recently released hostages conveyed a sign of life from Alexander, as well as alarming information about the conditions of his captivity.
The report noted that Alexander was being held in an underground tunnel without air or sunlight and is severely malnourished and underweight due to a lack of food.
The hostage-ceasefire deal signed between Israel and Hamas on January 17, which saw the release of 33 hostages from Gaza captivity, expired on March 1.
Ten days later, the fighting resumed, with efforts to secure the additional release of hostages stalling since.
In mid-March, the Gaza-based terror group claimed it would release Alexander, 21, along with four deceased hostages.
Shortly after, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement that read, “While Israel accepted the [US Middle East envoy Steve] Witkoff framework, Hamas persists in its refusal and continues to wage psychological warfare against hostage families."
Witkoff's proposal
The Witkoff outline proposed that Hamas would release five living hostages as well as nine deceased hostages. In exchange, Israel would allow a 50-day ceasefire, starting from March 1.
"Alexander is very important to us," Witkoff said in early March. "He is wounded, and he is a top priority.
Speaking of Trump's stance, Witkoff said, "An American is going to be a priority for him."
Amichai Stein and Seth J. Frantzman contributed to this report.