The backchannel talks that led to the release of Edan Alexander began with a message from a Hamas official to Bishara Bahbah, the former leader of "Arab Americans for Trump," two Israeli officials, one Palestinian official and one U.

Hamas agreed to release Alexander, the last living U.S. hostage in Gaza, after talks with the Trump administration. His parents traveled to Israel from New Jersey.

Edan Alexander, the last known living American hostage in Gaza, was released by Hamas and reunited with his family on Monday, ending an 18-month ordeal that began with the militant group’s October 7 attack.