Hamas said on Friday it agreed to release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander and return the bodies of four other American-Israeli hostages.

Why it matters: Hamas' statement didn't make clear what the group demands in return for releasing the five remaining American hostages.

  • Hamas would likely demand Israel release Palestinian prisoners and extend the Gaza ceasefire.

What they are saying: Hamas said in its statement that it met on Thursday with the Qatari and Egyptian mediators and received a proposal for extending the Gaza ceasefire.

  • "We handled this proposal with responsibility and a positive approach and responded on Friday. We are ready to start negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal and we call for pressing Israel to implement its commitments," Hamas said.

State of play: Hamas' statement suggests it has agreed to a proposal given to it by Trump's hostages envoy Adam Boehler last week during the direct talks between the U.S. and the group in Doha.

  • The proposal focused on releasing the remaining American hostages as an opening move for a broader deal on releasing all other hostages and reaching a long-term truce that would effectively end the war in Gaza. Israel didn't agree to this proposal.
  • On Wednesday White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff gave Hamas a new proposal that focused on releasing five living hostages and returning the bodies of nine dead hostages in exchange for extending the ceasefire until after Ramadan and Passover, which end on April 20. Israel accepted this proposal.

The other side: The Israeli Prime Minister's Office called Hamas' statement "manipulation and psychological warfare."

  • "While Israel has accepted the Witkoff proposal, Hamas stands by its refusal and has not budged a millimeter," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.
  • Netanyahu will convene a ministerial team on Saturday night to discuss the hostages situation, receive a detailed report from the Israeli negotiations team, and to decide on the next steps, the prime minister's office said.