Edan Alexander, the last living US citizen kidnapped by Hamas terrorists and held hostage for more than 19 months, will be released, Hamas announced on Sunday.
According to the Hamas statement, the release was part of ongoing mediation efforts to establish a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, reopen crossings into the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian territory, and resume aid delivery. It did not specify when the release would take place, but two Hamas officials told The Associated Press they expected it within 48 hours.
In a statement to CBS News on Sunday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was aware of Hamas’ plan to release Alexander “as a gesture to the Americans.”
“The United States has informed Israel that this move is expected to lead to negotiations for the release of the hostages under the original Witkoff outline—which Israel has already accepted,” the office said, referring to terms negotiated by Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy to the Middle East.
“Israel is preparing for the possibility that this move will materialize,” the statement continued. “According to Israeli policy, the negotiations will take place under fire with a commitment to achieving all war goals.”
Witkoff confirmed late Sunday in a message to CBS News that Hamas had agreed to free Alexander.
Alexander, a 20-year-old Israeli-American national who grew up in New Jersey, was serving in the Israeli military when Hamas launched its terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. He was abducted from a military base near the Gaza border, one of 251 people kidnapped from southern Israel that day, with 1,200 others killed.
On Sunday, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was “grateful to all those involved in making this monumental news happen.”
“This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States 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,” wrote the author. “Hopefully, this is the first of the final steps required to put an end to this brutal conflict. I’m looking forward to that day of celebration!”
According to a statement distributed by the Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the Alexander family received “the greatest gift imaginable” on Mother’s Day: news that their beautiful son Edan is returning home after 583 days in captivity in Gaza. We are deeply grateful to President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the US administration for their tireless efforts to make this happen.
“We urge the Israeli government and negotiating teams not to give up. We hope that our son’s release will spark negotiations for the release of the remaining 58 hostages, bringing an end to this nightmare for them and their families. “No hostages should be left behind.”
The hostage families forum had previously stated that it was “embracing and supporting the Alexander family,” and that Edan’s release “must mark the beginning of a comprehensive agreement that will secure the freedom of all remaining hostages.”
The group, formed by the families of the abductees, urged Mr. Trump and Netanyahu to return everyone.
“You’ve given the families of all the hostages hope,” the statement read. “Please, complete your mission and bring them all home.”
As fighting erupted at the military base on the morning of October 7, Alexander texted his mother, informing her that he had shrapnel in his helmet from nearby explosions but had found a safe haven. His family lost contact with him after 7 a.m., according to the Associated Press.
“He told me even though things were already becoming dangerous around him. It was the last time I heard my son’s voice. “I cannot describe the pain of not knowing where your child is or how he is,” Alexander’s mother, Yael Alexander, told CBS New York in October.
She and his father, Adi Alexander, met with former President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump late last year to advocate for a deal that would free all of the hostages still held in Gaza. Mr. Trump stated earlier this month that fewer than two dozen hostages were thought to be alive. Alexander was believed to be among them.
As efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have dragged on, militants have periodically released hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Approximately 100 hostages were returned to Israel during a brief cease-fire in November 2023, just over a month after the Oct. 7 attack prompted Israel to declare war on Hamas and begin bombarding Gaza.
Some of the people freed in the first exchange claimed to have seen Alexander in captivity. Varda Ben Baruch, his grandmother, told the Associated Press at the time that hostages said her grandson remained calm and assured them that everyone would be released soon.
Since the temporary ceasefire in November 2023, fewer than 50 people have been released from Hamas captivity.
Militants released 30 people between January and March of this year as part of a larger exchange agreement with Israel that was implemented in stages.
Although family members of those in captivity have repeatedly pleaded with American and Israeli leaders to reach an agreement prioritizing the hostages’ safe return, Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas in March and resumed its offensive in Gaza, where Palestinian officials say the death toll has risen to nearly 53,000.