Edan Alexander, a 19-year-old American-Israeli soldier originally from New Jersey, was taken hostage by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023. This event occurred during an attack on the Israeli military base where Alexander was stationed. On Monday, he was released, marking him as the last living American hostage in Gaza. The release coincided with President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to the region and was characterized by Hamas as a goodwill gesture aimed at fostering renewed mediation efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict that has persisted for 19 months.
Alexander was one of 251 individuals taken hostage during the initial attack by Hamas. Currently, 58 hostages remain in Gaza, with approximately one-third thought to be alive. The rest have either been released in previous ceasefire negotiations or other arrangements. Following the announcement of his release by Hamas, Alexander's family expressed immense joy, stating it was the greatest gift they could have hoped for after enduring 583 days of captivity.
On the same day of his release, Alexander’s parents arrived in Israel, with Trump’s hostage negotiator, Adam Boehler, sharing a photo on social media that showcased Alexander's mother, Yael, on the flight. A native of Tenafly, a suburb of New York City, Alexander moved to Israel in 2022 after completing high school and subsequently enlisted in the Israeli military. He was captured by Hamas after volunteering to stay at his military base over the Jewish Sabbath.
In November 2024, a video released by Hamas showed a distressed Alexander appealing for help, which, despite its troubling nature, provided some comfort to his family as it confirmed he was still alive. Reports from other released hostages indicated that Alexander had lost significant weight during his captivity, but he had also taken a stand for fellow hostages, including Thai workers, urging his captors to release those not involved in the conflict.
Unlike other hostages who were released during ceasefires earlier this year, Alexander remained in captivity. In January and February, Hamas did release 25 Israeli hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners, which left many families of those still held in Gaza in despair over the conditions of their loved ones. Hamas has stated it will only release the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to a long-lasting ceasefire and withdraws from Gaza, along with the release of more Palestinian prisoners. Israel, in turn, has rejected these terms, committing to continue the military offensive until all hostages are freed and Hamas is decisively defeated.
In March, Hamas indicated it would release Alexander along with the bodies of four other hostages if Israel re-engaged in stalled ceasefire discussions. Alexander's father, Adi, reported he had been in daily contact with Trump’s negotiators, advocating for his son's release. However, subsequent actions by Israel disrupted the fragile truce, leading to renewed military strikes that caused significant casualties among Palestinians, creating further risk for the hostages still held by Hamas.
In April, another video featuring Alexander surfaced, showing him in a dark room where the family suspects he was held within Hamas’s extensive tunnel network. Shortly after, Hamas claimed to have lost contact with the militants guarding Alexander due to an Israeli airstrike; however, Israeli officials have not commented on this assertion. Following Alexander's release, his family urged the Israeli government to maintain pressure on negotiations for all hostages, a sentiment that has been echoed by other families of those still in captivity.
The Alexander family urged continued efforts for the remaining hostages, stating, “Please don’t stop. We hope our son’s release begins negotiations for all 58 remaining hostages, ending this nightmare for them and their families.”
