JERUSALEM — Edan Alexander, a 19-year-old American-Israeli, was taken captive by Hamas militants during an assault on his military base in Israel. This incident occurred on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked, leading to a significant and ongoing conflict. Recently, he was released, becoming the last American hostage held in Gaza, shortly before an expected visit from former President Donald Trump to the region. Hamas has called the release a gesture of goodwill meant to revive stalled negotiations to end the 19-month war.
Alexander was one of the 251 individuals taken as hostages during the surprise attack. Out of these, 58 are still being held in Gaza, and it’s believed that about a third of them are alive. The remainder were freed through ceasefire agreements or negotiations.
Following the announcement of his release, Alexander’s family expressed immense relief, stating they were given the “greatest gift imaginable” after 583 days of uncertainty. His parents traveled to Israel to be reunited with him, with Adam Boehler, a negotiator for hostages appointed by Trump, sharing a photo of Alexander’s mother on her flight.
Originally from Tenafly, New Jersey, Edan moved to Israel in 2022 after high school and volunteered to serve in the military. He was taken during a Sabbath shift at his base. In videos released by Hamas, Alexander appeared distressed, pleading for help. While these clips were heart-wrenching, his family felt some relief knowing he was alive.
As other hostages have been released over the months, they provided updates about Alexander, revealing he had lost significant weight and had been advocating for fellow captives, including Thai workers also in captivity.
Despite previous negotiations, Alexander was not among those freed during earlier ceasefires earlier this year, where 25 Israeli hostages were exchanged for almost 1,800 Palestinian prisoners. The harsh reality of the situation deepened as families of those still held saw the condition of released hostages.
Hamas has stated that it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and further Palestinian prisoner releases. However, Israel has firmly rejected these terms, insisting that the fight will continue until all hostages are free and Hamas is defeated.
In March, Hamas indicated that they would release Alexander along with four other captives if Israel would recommit to the stalled ceasefire agreement. At that time, Alexander’s father shared how he was in regular contact with U.S. negotiators, advocating tirelessly for his son’s release.
Subsequently, an Israeli airstrike disrupted attempts at a truce, leading to significant casualties and heightened tensions. In April, another video of Alexander was shared by Hamas from a dark room, and his family believes he is being kept in Hamas’s extensive tunnel network.
After a recent incident where Hamas claimed to have lost contact with the unit holding Alexander due to Israeli air strikes, his family urged the Israeli government to continue efforts to secure the release of all hostages. They echoed the sentiments of other families, stating, “Please do not stop. We hope our son’s release will kickstart negotiations for the 58 remaining hostages, bringing an end to this nightmare for them and their families.”
