Who is Edan Alexander, the Israeli-American hostage released by Hamas?

JERUSALEM – Edan Alexander was 19 erstwhile Hamas militants stormed the Israeli subject basal wherever the American-Israeli from New Jersey was a worker and dragged him into the Gaza Strip.

Hamas released Alexander, the past surviving American hostage successful Gaza, connected Monday up of President Donald Trump's sojourn to the region this week. The militant radical called it a goodwill motion aimed astatine reviving mediated efforts to extremity the 19-month war.

Alexander was among 251 radical taken hostage successful Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught that ignited the war. Fifty-eight stay successful Gaza. Around a 3rd are believed to beryllium alive. Most of the remainder were released successful ceasefire agreements oregon different deals.

After Hamas announced connected Sunday helium would beryllium released, Alexander's household said it “received the top acquisition imaginable — quality that our beauteous lad Edan is returning location aft 583 days successful captivity successful Gaza.”

Alexander’s parents flew to Israel connected Monday. Trump’s hostage negotiator, Adam Boehler, posted a representation connected societal media showing Alexander's mother, Yael, aboard the flight.

A autochthonal of Tenafly, a suburb of New York City, Edan Alexander moved to Israel successful 2022 aft precocious schoolhouse and enlisted successful the military. Hamas militants seized him from his subject basal aft helium volunteered to enactment determination implicit the Jewish Sabbath.

In a video Hamas released of Alexander implicit Thanksgiving play successful November 2024, helium cried and pleaded for help. Though the video was hard to watch, his household said, it came arsenic a alleviation to spot helium was alive.

Hostages freed since past person fixed the household much news, his begetter said. Some said Alexander had mislaid a batch of weight. Others said he’d been an advocator for chap hostages, lasting up for captive Thai workers and telling their captors that the workers weren't progressive successful the struggle and should beryllium freed.

Alexander, similar different antheral soldiers held successful Gaza, was not included among hostages released during a ceasefire earlier this year. Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of 8 others successful January and February successful instrumentality for nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners. The show of immoderate emaciated hostages among those freed brought caller despair to families whose loved ones remained successful Gaza.

Hamas has said it volition lone merchandise the remaining hostages successful speech for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, on with the merchandise of much Palestinian prisoners. Israel has rejected those terms, saying it volition proceed the warfare until each the hostages are freed and Hamas is defeated.

Hamas said successful March it would merchandise Alexander and the bodies of 4 different hostages if Israel recommitted to the stalled ceasefire agreement. Alexander’s father, Adi, said astatine the clip helium was speaking with Trump’s hostage negotiators astir daily, pressing for his son's release.

Days later, Israel shattered the truce with a astonishment bombardment that killed hundreds of Palestinians. Israel called the renewed bombardment a maneuver to unit Hamas to negociate antithetic ceasefire terms. Hamas said the violative puts remaining hostages astatine risk.

In April, Hamas published different video of Alexander successful which helium spoke from a acheronian room. His household believes helium has been held successful Hamas' immense passageway network.

Days later, Hamas said it had mislaid interaction with the militants holding Alexander aft an Israeli airstrike targeted their location. Israeli officials person not commented connected the claim.

The Alexander household Monday urged the Israeli authorities to proceed efforts to escaped each the hostages — a plea that different families person echoed since the Hamas announcement connected Sunday.

“Please don’t stop," Alexander's household said. "We anticipation our son’s merchandise begins negotiations for each 58 remaining hostages, ending this nightmare for them and their families.”

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Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Sam Mednick successful Tel Aviv contributed.

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