It is believed that at least two of the six American hostages still held in Gaza are alive — Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, who grew up in Bloomfield, Connecticut, and Edan Alexander, 19, from Tenafly, New Jersey. Four other Americans are believed to have been killed in captivity.

Israeli troops have pulled back to the edges of Gaza, the first hostages have been released and many Palestinians have returned to what remains of their homes in the first few days of the Israel-Hamas

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said that Israel would turn the Gaza Strip over to the United States after the war with Hamas ends and that no U.S. soldiers would be needed there. Trump, who has called for U.

Israel was expected to free about 90 more Palestinians from its prisons on Saturday in exchange for the release of the three hostages, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement that took effect on January 19.