Edan Alexander was among those kidnapped during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. He is a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen raised in New Jersey, serving as a staff sergeant in the Israeli army’s Golani Brigade at a base near the Gaza border (the “White House” post, Kibbutz Nirim) when Hamas militants abducted him during their onslaught. That attack killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and sparked the war in Gaza. Alexander was held by Hamas for 584 days, during which multiple videos showed him pleading for help.
Release on May 12, 2025
On May 12, 2025, Alexander was released to the Red Cross
during a negotiated pause in fighting. Hamas militants handed him over to
International Committee of the Red Cross officials in Khan Younis at around
6 p.m., without the usual propaganda ceremony. Israeli forces then met him at a
nearby crossing: the army reported that its soldiers received Alexander from
the Red Cross on the Gaza side and took him to an IDF base near the border.
From there he was flown by helicopter to an Israeli hospital for medical
evaluation and treatment.
Alexander’s mother Yael was waiting anxiously: when she
finally spoke to him by phone, she cried out “You’re out, my love… You are
strong”. Israeli broadcasters reported that Alexander appeared pale and weak. A
Red Cross official said his physical condition was “poor, but he is smiling”.
Media accounts noted that Alexander told soldiers he had endured “harsh
torture” in captivity, kept for weeks in a cage with his hands and feet bound.
During the transfer, he held a sign on the helicopter that read, “Thank you,
President Trump!” – indicating the symbolic link to U.S. efforts in his
release.
Reactions from Family and Officials
Alexander’s release brought relief mixed with frustration
among hostage families and officials. At his arrival in Israel, his parents and
siblings tearfully embraced him. The family’s statement thanked American
mediators and stressed that “no hostage should be left behind.” Hostage-family
groups echoed that sentiment: one leading forum said Alexander’s return “is a
beacon of light and hope,” but reminded that about 58 people remain captive in
Gaza and urged that “the return of all hostages” is Israel’s “most urgent and
critical mission”.
U.S. and Israeli leaders praised the outcome. President
Donald Trump – then on a Middle East trip – took to social media to hail the
news. On Truth Social he wrote “Edan Alexander, American hostage thought dead,
to be released… Great news!” and later described the release as “monumental
news” and “a step taken in good faith”. He added that he hoped “we’re going to
have other hostages released” as part of any ceasefire discussions. Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the military for its role and said the
outcome was secured by Israeli “military pressure” on Hamas (and political
pressure from the U.S.). At the same time, the Israeli government emphasized
that it would not stop fighting unless it reached its broader goals.
Netanyahu’s office reiterated that “Israel has not committed to a ceasefire of
any kind” and said operations would continue. Opposition leaders and many
families voiced anger that only Alexander – a dual citizen – was freed so far,
calling for a comprehensive deal to bring home all remaining hostages.
Hamas’s Stated Motives
Hamas portrayed Alexander’s release as a goodwill gesture
tied to diplomacy. The group announced the decision as part of efforts to reach
a Gaza ceasefire and to allow more humanitarian aid into the territory. A Hamas
official told the BBC that talks in Qatar with U.S. mediators aimed at “a
temporary halt to Israeli military activity and a suspension of aerial
operations” for the handover. Palestinian sources said the timing – just before
President Trump’s visit – was intended to encourage further truce negotiations.
In the minutes after the release, Hamas credited Trump and the multilateral
talks: its statement framed freeing Alexander as a gesture to U.S. leadership
ahead of a proposed deal. However, Israel’s leaders stressed that Alexander
alone was released and that Hamas must still disarm and end attacks before any
broader ceasefire.
Remaining Hostages and U.S. Nationals
Alexander was long identified as the last American
held by Hamas in Gaza. With his return, the Israeli government now says there
are no U.S. citizens among the hostages. By official Israeli count, roughly 58
hostages remain in Gaza and elsewhere under Palestinian militant custody. Hamas
and other groups acknowledge about the same number. Of those, at least 35 have
been confirmed killed (32 Israelis and 3 foreign nationals). About 23 others
are believed alive according to Israeli military tallies, though the fate of a
few remains in doubt. The ongoing concern is acute for the estimated two dozen
hostages who are injured or ill; families note that without medical care their
conditions may worsen. In the U.S., some lawmakers and family members have
pressed for the Biden administration (then still in office) to pursue a full
hostage release deal.
Gaza Offensive and Humanitarian Context
Alexander’s release occurred against a backdrop of
intensified conflict and growing civilian hardship in Gaza. In mid-March 2025
Israel resumed a major ground-and-air offensive after a two-month pause. In the
first week, Palestinian officials reported nearly 700 fatalities – a deadliest
toll for Gazan children in a single week of the war. Overall, Gaza’s health
ministry says over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since the
conflict began (about one-third of them minors). Israeli military sources
attribute the intensity to the aim of defeating Hamas. A Reuters investigation
noted that Israel was carving out wide “buffer zones” in Gaza, forcibly moving
most of the 2.3 million residents into a shrinking central area. Israeli
commanders publicly said they would “increase the pace and intensity” of
operations until Hamas no longer held any hostages.
The humanitarian situation has deteriorated. U.N. aid
agencies warned that no new relief convoys had entered Gaza since early March,
after Israel began tightly controlling aid flows. The U.S. and Israel have
floated a plan to set up a “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” to oversee aid
distribution, but UNICEF and aid groups cautioned that such measures could
delay help and “increase the suffering” of children and families. Humanitarian
monitors report that Gaza’s population – some 2.1 million people – is once again
“trapped, bombed and starved”. Half a million Gazans now face imminent
starvation, with risk of outright famine by fall. Fuel, water, food and
medicine remain in dangerously short supply under the ongoing Israeli blockade
and military operations.
Diplomacy and Next Steps
The Alexander deal was enabled by extensive diplomatic
effort. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and others helped broker four-way
talks (involving the U.S., Qatar, Egypt, and Hamas). The White House announced
that Alexander’s parents traveled with U.S. hostage negotiators to Israel for
the release. President Trump was en route to the region at the time (visiting
Gulf states but not Israel). Following the release, Netanyahu said he would
send an Israeli delegation to Doha (Qatar’s capital) to pursue a new temporary
truce and additional hostage-release agreement.
At the same time, Israel’s leaders insist that any talks
must proceed “under fire,” meaning while military operations continue.
Netanyahu has made clear that destroying Hamas’s fighting capacity remains
Israel’s ultimate aim, even as negotiations go on. He told media that Israel
will press on until Hamas is defeated and all hostages are free. International
mediators are expected to shuttle between Jerusalem and Doha in coming days,
seeking to expand the deal that secured Alexander’s freedom to cover more prisoners
and aid deliveries. Until such a breakthrough, however, fighting is likely to
continue in Gaza under Israel’s stated war plan, and humanitarian needs in the
enclave are expected to remain severe.
Sources: Contemporary news reports and statements
from Israeli, Palestinian, and U.S. officials, as cited above.
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