ISTANBUL 

Qatar and Egypt welcomed an announcement by the Palestinian group Hamas that it plans to release Israeli-American soldier Idan Alexander, who it has been holding captive in Gaza.

The statement, issued Sunday by the two mediator countries and published by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, came as Israel continues its military genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Qatar and Egypt said they welcomed “the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas’s agreement to release the Israeli-American hostage Idan Alexander, who is being held by the group.”

The two countries described the move as “a goodwill gesture and an encouraging step toward bringing the parties back to the negotiating table.”

They added that the hoped-for resumption of negotiations aims to achieve “a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages and detainees, and the safe and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to address the dire conditions in the Gaza Strip.”

Hamas said late Sunday that it will release Alexander as part of ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

In a statement, it said that as part of efforts made by mediators to achieve a ceasefire, the group has been in talks with the US administration over the past few days and that it has expressed a “high degree of positivity.”