US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander released after 584 days in Hamas captivity
Middle East | World: Alexander, who is now 21, grew up in New Jersey before moving to Israel, where he was serving in the Israeli military when he was abducted during the Hamas-orchestrated attack on Oct. 7, 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza.
US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, believed to be the last living US citizen held hostage in Gaza, was released by Hamas on Monday as President Donald Trump departed Washington for a trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Alexander was being escorted out of the Gaza Strip by the IDF and brought to the facility near Re’im when reports last came in.
Alexander, who is now 21, grew up in New Jersey before moving to Israel, where he was serving in the Israeli military when he was abducted during the Hamas-orchestrated attack on Oct. 7, 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza.
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Hamas said on Sunday evening that it would release Alexander without conditions in the hope of working for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and renewing the flow of vital humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian territory.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in a post on X that the release of Edan Alexander by Hamas “marks the beginning of the end to this terrible war.”
“We demand the immediate release of all remaining hostages,” the envoy added.
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The Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcomed the news of Alexander’s release and said they’d be organising a march at the U.S. embassy in Israel on Monday to demand “a breakthrough and comprehensive agreement” to bring the remaining hostages home.
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Hamas said Sunday the decision to release Alexander came after “contacts with the US administration over the past few days,” and that it was ready to “immediately begin intensive negotiations for ending the war, establish a mutually agreed-upon prisoner exchange, and have the Gaza Strip administered by an independent professional body.”
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump called the move “a step taken in good faith towards the US and the efforts of the mediators—Qatar and Egypt—to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones. Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict.”
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The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement saying, “Israel did not commit to any ceasefire or to the release of terrorists, but only to a safe corridor that would allow for Edan’s release.”
“Negotiations will continue under fire and while preparations are being made to intensify the fighting,” the prime minister’s office said.
Israel has been preventing the entry of food and medical aid into Gaza for nearly three months.
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