Yasser Arafat's wife reportedly plays 'central role' in release of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander

Reports from Lebanon on (Tuesday) indicate that Suha Arafat, widow of former Palestinian Authority (PA) President Yasser Arafat, acted as a mediator between the United States and Hamas in securing the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Edan Alexander.

According to the publication, which discussed the secret communication channel between the Trump administration and the terrorist organization, Arafat facilitated contact between Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas political bureau official, and Palestinian-American activist Bishara Bahbah, who served as a key liaison to the U.S. administration.

The kidnapped soldier, Staff Sergeant Edan Alexander, returned to his family in Israel yesterday after being released from captivity in Gaza. Alexander was abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack. He was handed over to Israel by the Red Cross and reunited with his family after 584 days in captivity.

A Palestinian source familiar with the details revealed the process that led to Alexander's release to Kan News: A few days ago, Qatar approached Hamas leadership and requested that Alexander be released without compensation. The goal was for Doha to serve as an advocate for Hamas before the Trump administration and to increase pressure on Israel to return to the negotiating table.

At the same time, direct talks between Hamas leadership and the U.S. administration had begun. According to the source, three senior Hamas officials participated in the discussions: Khalil al-Hayya, Muhammad Darwish, and Mousa Abu Marzouk. During the talks, Trump representatives attempted to entice Hamas leaders by promising that if Alexander were released, Trump would try to persuade Israel to agree to a temporary ceasefire and enter negotiations.

Israeli officials emphasized that the release was carried out as a gesture to the United States, and that Israel had made no commitment to release terrorists or agree to a ceasefire, but only to provide a safe corridor to facilitate the release. The development is expected to lead to negotiations for the release of additional hostages, according to the Witkoff framework, which Israel has already agreed to, but Hamas has so far rejected.