The return of Edan Alexander, 21, marks a stirring chapter in the long, painful saga of the October 7 Hamas attacks—and a profound moment for both the United States and Israel.
The young man, a dual citizen and staff sergeant in the elite Golani brigade of the IDF, was the last known living American held by Hamas in Gaza. On Monday, after months in captivity under reportedly brutal conditions, he finally came home.
Alexander’s release was met with scenes of powerful emotion—tears, laughter, and long-awaited embraces—as his family flew in from the U.S. to meet him. He had been held since the coordinated, brutal terror assault launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 dead and shocked the world. During captivity, reports say Alexander was tortured and confined, handcuffed inside a cage, alongside other hostages.
Though the Red Cross has a legal mandate to monitor the welfare of prisoners of war, it never visited Alexander during his confinement—a glaring omission that raises serious questions. Yet, paradoxically, it was the Red Cross that handled the logistics of his release, as it has for other hostages, in a role that underscores the murky moral territory of such organizations in asymmetric conflict zones.
Upon crossing back into Israel, Alexander was welcomed not only by family and fellow IDF soldiers, but also by top negotiators—Israel’s Gal Hirsch and U.S. special envoy Adam Boehler.
The image of him aboard a military helicopter, holding up a whiteboard that read “Thank you President Trump!” in English and “Am Yisrael Chai” (“The Nation of Israel Lives”) in Hebrew, sent a clear message: his gratitude was as political as it was personal.
President Donald Trump’s role in Alexander’s release, as praised by both Israeli and U.S. officials, adds a striking dimension to ongoing Middle East diplomacy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly credited both Trump’s diplomatic efforts and Israel’s relentless military pressure for securing Alexander’s freedom—without explicit conditions, a significant point in a region where hostage releases often come with negotiated concessions.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was also present at the scene, and there is speculation that Alexander may travel to Qatar later this week to meet Trump in person—if his health permits.
Trump is scheduled to visit several Arab nations as part of broader peace and normalization talks. The former president’s presence in the region, combined with this high-profile rescue, will likely ripple through upcoming negotiations.