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U.S. praises leadership after American held by Hamas is reunited with family
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Summary
At a State Department briefing, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott credited U.S. leadership for the release of an American held by Hamas and declined to discuss private diplomatic channels that may have contributed to the release.
Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesperson at the U.S. Department of State, said an American identified in the briefing as Edan Alexander has been released from Hamas custody and reunited with family in Israel.
Pigott said the release illustrates U.S. commitment to recovering Americans abroad, saying, “When President Trump says he will never leave an American behind, he means it.”
The statement came during a broader briefing in which Pigott highlighted what he described as recent diplomatic and economic successes tied to President Donald Trump’s foreign policy. Reporters pressed Pigott for details about reports that back‑channel talks involving a Hamas official and a private U.S. intermediary led to the release. Pigott declined to discuss private diplomatic conversations, saying, “I’m not gonna comment on private diplomatic conversations.”
Pigott reiterated that the administration values the immediate return of hostages and said the White House views the outcome as the result of American leadership, but he gave no operational details on how the release was secured.
The State Department did not provide a timeline for any follow‑up statements, and Pigott referred questions about specific private actors or arrangements to other channels, saying he would not discuss the details of private diplomacy.
