Hamas said Saturday it will only release an American-Israeli and the bodies of four other hostages if Israel implements their ceasefire agreement, calling it an “exceptional deal” aimed at getting

Hamas says it will release American Israeli Edan Alexander and the bodies of four other hostages only if Israel implements their cease-fire agreement.

Hamas said it’s willing to release all US-Israeli hostages, including one still alive, in a surprise move dismissed by both Israel and the US as unhelpful to negotiation efforts to end the war.

Hamas says it has accepted a proposal from mediators to release one living American-Israeli hostage and the bodies of four dual-nationals who had died in captivity.

Hamas said on Friday it agreed to release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, 21, and return the bodies of four other American-Israeli hostages, but the U.S. and Israel rejected that claim. Why it matters: Hamas' statement didn't make clear what the group demands in return for releasing the five remaining American hostages.