'We bury our dead, a soldier walks free': Release of Israeli-American captive Edan Alexander divides many in Gaza

In a move as unexpected as it was controversial, al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, released Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander in southern Gaza; a decision that deep divides Palestinians in Gaza and raised questions about the future of negotiations, resistance, and internal unity.

On Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross received the soldier, reportedly from the Golani Brigade, in the northern Khan Younis area. There were no victory parades, militant fanfare, or cameras; only the muted quiet of a war-ravaged landscape bearing witness to a solitary handover.

Hamas officials called the release a "goodwill gesture" and part of what they described as a broader negotiation track with US mediation aimed at a comprehensive ceasefire. 

But for many in Gaza, still burying the dead from relentless Israeli bombardment, the news landed like a blow.

A calculated gamble

In press statements, Mahmoud Mirdawi, a senior Hamas leader, said that the release came after direct contact with US officials, with mediation from Egypt and Qatar. 

"It's a goodwill gesture. Part of a framework where we envision a long-term truce, aid entry, prisoner swaps, and an end to the aggression," he added. 

Mirdawi confirmed that Hamas is open to the idea of a "professional body" managing Gaza post-war—a sharp departure from the group’s previous positions—but stressed that "the siege must be lifted, crossings opened, and reconstruction ensured."

Anonymously speaking to The New Arab, a source close to Hamas said that discussions with American intermediaries had intensified in recent weeks, with the soldier's release meant to "embarrass" Israel, which "refuses to offer any concessions or guarantees."

"This is a clear message from Hamas to US President Donald Trump: we are ready to move forward. Are you?"  the source said.

Yet, Hamas's calculated step exposed it to rare internal criticism, not just from rival factions, but from within its own support base.

Palestinian political analysts, including those who support Hamas, see the move as part of a broader American push to de-escalate the war on Gaza and stabilise the region ahead of US elections and broader deals with Gulf states. 

Hani al-Masri, a political analyst based in Ramallah, described the Trump administration's position as "pragmatic rather than principled."

"Washington wants calm, not justice, not freedom for Palestinians. Calm to make way for normalisation, arms deals, and expansion of the Abraham Accords," he noted to TNA. "It's a transactional mindset. And that makes this moment dangerous."

Ismat Mansour, a Ramallah-based Israeli affairs expert, told TNA that the US may allow "temporary arrangements involving Hamas in civil administration if the group adapts its policies on armed resistance." 

While Washington still officially designates Hamas as a "terrorist organisation" and maintains it cannot be a partner for peace, Mansour noted a subtle but significant shift in US discourse. "Washington still doesn't recognise Hamas," he said, "but it's beginning to understand that no serious deal in Gaza can ignore them."

According to Mansour, this position contrasts sharply with that of Israel, particularly under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government, which insists on the total dismantling of Hamas's political and military infrastructure and has rejected any role for the group in post-war governance, even indirectly. 

"Israel wants to erase Hamas completely, not just militarily but politically and socially," Mansour said. "The US, meanwhile, is starting to look at stabilisation and governance more pragmatically, even if that means tolerating some form of Hamas presence for the time being, especially to facilitate aid delivery, civil order, and eventual reconstruction."

Nevertheless, he warned that the window for such flexibility is limited. "Trump or any US leader may not keep the door open for long. Palestinians must decide whether to step through it or be shut out again." 

Mansour added that the implicit message is that internal Palestinian reconciliation and political restructuring may be the only way to ensure representation in whatever post-war arrangement emerges before external powers impose their own framework.

The release also reopened wounds in the fractured Palestinian political landscape. Although official Fatah figures refused to comment publicly, one senior member told TNA that "Hamas is negotiating with Washington while bypassing national consensus. It still treats Gaza as a private farm."

"We're not against ceasefires," he said. "But what kind of future are we talking about when national partners are ignored? This move raises hard questions about the post-war order."

The source from Fatah accused Hamas of trying to cement its grip on Gaza, "even if it means making deals with the very powers we’ve accused of complicity."

"Unfortunately, the Palestinians are caught between occupation and division — between the enemy's bombs and their leaders' rivalry," the source concluded. 

'We bury our victims, and Hamas releases soldiers'

Amid the polarised reactions, Walid al-Awad, a Palestinian People's Party's Political Bureau member, offered a more nuanced position. 

"Releasing the soldier was a clever message. It tells the mediators: the resistance is not closed off to political solutions. And it tells the Israeli public: military might isn't your only path," he said to TNA. 

But, he stressed, "if this [action] is not embedded within a national framework, its value is diminished."

"What we need now is a collective Palestinian vision for the day after, a unifying plan for governance, reconstruction, and resistance. No matter how smart, individual initiatives cannot replace national consensus," he said. 

He urged all factions to use the moment as a gateway to end the division. "There is still a chance to build something new," he said. "But only if unity, not monopoly, guides the next phase."

Meanwhile, in a crowded shelter in western Gaza City, 30-year-old Ahmed Nofal told TNA, "Every day, we pull children from the rubble […] but now we hear Hamas gave back a soldier. Without compensation. Without anything. Has our blood become so cheap?"

His anger echoed through the dim, overcrowded shelter. "We want calm," he added, "but not like this; not unilateral steps that embolden Israel. We need clarity. A united decision. Not sudden gestures done in silence."

"This could be a signal. Maybe a test to see if the Americans or other mediators are serious. But even then, taking such a step while our children are starving and dying, it must be explained. Context matters," Mohammed Daghmash, another Palestinian displaced in Gaza, remarked to TNA. 

"If this is the beginning of a roadmap toward a ceasefire, lifting the siege, and a prisoner exchange, it could be strategic. But if it's isolated, it risks being seen as weakness," he added. 

Edan Alexander's release may shift Hamas's strategy or reflect tactical manoeuvring amid intense external pressure. Either way, it has sparked a reckoning inside Gaza regarding leadership, legitimacy, and the cost of war.

With the death toll rising, many Palestinians are asking: Who speaks for us, and to what end?